Agriculture Scheme Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2015

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Questions (344)

Seán Kyne

Question:

344. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the basis on which his Department decided a person (details supplied) in County Galway was overpaid under the disadvantaged areas scheme 2013; the lands deemed ineligible; the reason the same aerial photograph was used in the 2013 and 2014 applications to outline the person's lands; the reason these were dated differently, that is, 8 November 2013 and 22 February 2014; the reason an updated photograph has not been used to identify the present farm lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11513/15]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

A review of the land parcels declared by the person named under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme and 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme revealed that two of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features, which in this case included a farm yard, a stream, a farm road and areas of scrub. However, while the person named was notified of this decision and of his right of appeal on two separate occasions, firstly on 15 November 2013 and secondly on 12 June 2014, no appeal has been received. These area reductions resulted in a reduction between 3% and 20% to the area payable under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

The ortho-image from the Land Parcel Identification System database used to review the lands declared by the person named was captured on 16 May 2012. The dates referred to relate to the dates the maps were generated to issue to the applicant. The imagery involved was the same in both sets of maps.