Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 November 2014
57. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a payment of only €260 has issued under the 2014 disadvantaged areas based payment to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason no payment was made to this person under the 2013 disadvantaged areas based scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44597/14]
View answerA review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme revealed that one of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. In view of the level of over-claim and in order to ensure that the areas deemed ineligible were valid, my Department undertook a ground verification check on the holding of the applicant. This check was carried out on 3 March 2014. The verification confirmed the 2013 area over-declaration as 54% in the case of both the Single Farm Payment and the Disadvantaged Area Schemes applications. As the level of over-claim determined was greater than 20% of the eligible area in respect of both schemes, unfortunately, no payment is due to the person named under the 2013 Single Payment and Disadvantaged Area Schemes. The person named had already received a payment of €153.16 on 16 October 2013 under the 2013 Single Farm Payment Scheme, which will be offset against a future payment made by my Department as no payment is due under the 2013 Scheme.
The person named was informed of the outcome of the verification check on 16 May 2014. The applicant was also informed at that time that the findings of the verification check could be appealed to the independent LPIS Appeals Committee, within 3 months of the notification letter. To date no such appeal has been received.
An application under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 2 May 2014. Following processing an area over-declaration was disclosed in respect of one land parcel. This over-declaration exceeded 3% of the eligible area and, therefore, resultant payment was reduced accordingly as outlined in the Terms and Conditions. My Department corresponded with the person named regarding this matter. To date no request for a review of its decision has been received.
