Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2015
144. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the single payments or other entitlements of farmers in special protection areas have been adversely impacted upon or if the farmers have been penalised because of the designation of their lands. [12501/15]
View answerPayments under the Single Payment Scheme were made to applicants, who held payment entitlements under that Scheme. In order to benefit from payment under that Scheme, an applicant had to declare an eligible hectare for each payment entitlement held. An eligible hectare must have all of the ineligible areas and features excluded and must have an agricultural activity carried out on it. The same provisions apply to all land declared for payment under the Scheme irrespective of whether the land is designated or not. Therefore, a farmer who declares designated land, which is eligible for payment and on which he or she is carrying out an agricultural activity, will receive payment under the Basic Payment Scheme in the normal fashion. The Basic Payment Scheme replaced the Single Payment Scheme in 2015.
