Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2015
369. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when farm payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal will be made, in view of the fact that the person was previously awarded grazing rights by the courts for a disputed land parcel; when the person can also expect retrospective payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11769/15]
View answerThe person named has submitted applications under the Single Payment Scheme for all years since its inception in 2005. These applications included LPIS Parcel No. E22311009 - High Glen Commonage. In 2006, the Department requested the herd owner to provide satisfactory evidence of his entitlement to claim the land parcel in his application. The Department did not accept that the evidence provided proved satisfactory entitlement to payment on this land in respect of the person named.
In 2014, the person named pursuant to litigation submitted a Circuit Court Order which awarded him a grazing right of 80 sheep on this commonage. While the person named has submitted information to officials in my Department, further information has been requested from the person named seeking clarification regarding the court order from the Circuit Court. The clarification sought relates to how much land this grazing right equates to and what date the Court Order is effective from. On receipt of these clarifications, the case will be further examined with a view to issuing any payment due as soon as possible. Officials from my Department have been in regular contact with a representative of the herd owner to apprise them of the situation.
