Written Answers Nos. 222-231
222. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway did not receive a single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7321/14]
View answerWhile the person named contends that the 2013 SFP application form was submitted on their behalf my Department has no record of the person named having lodged an application under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme. Unfortunately, the subsequent documentation submitted did not enable my Department to form the view that the application was submitted on time. The person named lodged an appeal to the Agricultural Appeals Office on 12th December 2013. The person named will be notified of the outcome of the appeal by that Office as soon as it is finalised.
223. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a single farm payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7323/14]
View answerThe 2013 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme application of the person named was selected for a ground eligibility inspection.
This inspection identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area found, resulting in an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%, in respect of the Single Farm Payment Scheme. Based on the Terms and Conditions of this scheme, this resulted in the 2013 payment being based on the found area having being reduced by double the difference between the area found and the area claimed.
The person named was notified of this decision on 16 December 2013. The person named has appealed this decision and this request for a review is currently being examined. The person named will be notified of the outcome of this review as soon as possible. In the event that the person named in dissatisfied with the outcome of this review, the decision can be appealed to the Independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
Payment under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme, on the basis set out above, issued to the nominated bank account of person named on the 19 December 2013.
224. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a ground inspection will be carried out on a farm (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7329/14]
View answerA review of the land declared by the person named under the Single Payment Scheme revealed that several of the land parcels declared contained ineligible features.
The farmer in question was written to by my Department and informed of the outcome of the review. He was also informed that a ground verification check would be arranged to clarify the matter. The applicant will be contacted shortly with a view to making arrangements for this visit. My Department will be in direct contact with the person named regarding the outcome of the review once this verification check has been completed. If the applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of the review, he can appeal his case to the Independent LPIS Appeals Committee.
225. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the 2013 disadvantaged areas scheme will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay in issuing this payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7330/14]
View answerPayment in respect of the 2013 Disadvantaged Area Scheme issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 27 January 2014, immediately the holding of the person named was confirmed as having satisfied the minimum stocking density requirements of the 2013 Scheme.
226. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara cén uair a dhéanfar íocaíocht faoi REPS le feirmeoir i gContae na Gaillimhe (sonraí tugtha); cén fáth go bhfuil moill leis an íocaíocht seo; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [7331/14]
View answerChuaigh an duine ainmnithe isteach sa Scéim REPS 4 i mí Eanáir 2010 agus fuair íocaíochtaí don chéad trí bliana den chonradh.
Is beart faoin gClár um Fhorbairt Tuaithe 2007-13 é REPS 4 agus bíonn sé faoi réir rialachán AE a éilíonn go dtugtar seiceálacha riaracháin mionsonraithe ar gach iarratas chun críche sula ndéantar aon íocaíocht. Tá an próiseas sin tugtha chun críche maidir le híocaíochtaí 2013 agus eisíodh an íocaíocht 75% Bliain 4, arbh fhiú €3,702.45 é, an 7 Feabhra 2014. Eiseofar an iarmhéid de 25% go luath.
227. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made on an application for a forestry felling licence in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7340/14]
View answerThe application for a General Felling Licence from the above named was received in my Department on 3rd May 2013. The postal address stated on the application form was that of the applicant’s forestry company. A General Felling Licence issued to the applicant on 31st October 2013 to the address on the application form, i.e. to his forestry company. Therefore, the applicant should contact his forestry company to obtain the licence (or a copy of it).
228. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person on early retirement from farming with two years remaining can purchase agricultural land while under this scheme for the purposes of leasing it out; if this would contravene the terms of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7354/14]
View answerA participant in the early retirement from farming can purchase land for the purpose of leasing it out. Such a participant would not be in contravention of the scheme conditions once they did not revert to farming themselves.
229. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the latest permissible date to inform the European Commission of the national decisions made in relation to Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy reform programme 2015-20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7356/14]
View answerUnder the new Direct Payment Regulation, there are a number of dates relating to various aspects of the new Schemes by which Member States must notify the Commission of the national arrangements under Pillar I. As there is an option for the review of certain decisions throughout the period of the Scheme, the process of notification is ongoing. The earliest notification date relevant to Ireland is 1 August 2014.
230. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the minimum proposed activity that will be required for farmers to be eligible for payment under Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy reform programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7357/14]
View answerTo participate in the Basic Payment Scheme and related schemes a person must be an ‘active farmer’ as defined in the Direct Payment Regulation. Only persons who fulfil one of the following can be considered as an ‘active farmer’ and will be eligible to receive a direct payment:
a. A ‘farmer’ is defined as a person who carries out an agricultural activity such as ‘the rearing or growing of agricultural products including harvesting, milking, breeding animals and keeping animals for farming purposes’.
b. Persons who do not engage in one or more of these activities must at a minimum maintain their land in ‘good agricultural and environmental condition’.
c. Where land can be described as an area ‘naturally kept in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation’ (marginal land), each Member State must establish a level of ‘minimum activity’ to be carried out by farmers on such land.
The Commission is obliged to lay down a framework in the Delegated Acts within which Member States will define this ‘minimum activity’. This framework remains the subject of negotiation between Member States and the EU Commission and I am not in a position to define a ‘minimum activity’ for Ireland until the relevant Delegated Acts are published.
231. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is intended from 2015 onwards to pay the greening payment with the BNS payment; if it is intended to pay it in two tranches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7358/14]
View answerUnder the new regime, which will replace the Single Payment Scheme in 2015, with four separate elements, viz (i) the Basic Payment, (ii) the Greening element, (iii) the Top-up for Young Farmers and (iv) the coupled Aid for Protein. However, with discussions on-going at EU level on both the delegated Act and the implementing Act, it is not possible, at this stage, to indicate precisely what the payment arrangements will be.
