Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2015
377. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine following the change in land eligibility rules, the estimated additional land that is likely to be applied for, as forage or as arable area, under the basic payment scheme in 2015; the estimated difference the new rules on eligibility of Natura land will make. [18680/15]
View answerThe new pro-rata system and the use of the Reduction Coefficient applying to land parcels with scattered scrub is being introduced under the Basic Payment Scheme with effect from 2015. The introduction of these provisions will bring some welcome flexibility to the system. However, the creation of new reference areas for a significant number of land parcels across the entire Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) database is a complex matter and has to be approached very carefully. Significant and systematic testing is required to ensure that the re-calculations are accurate. It is not possible at this stage to establish the level of additional land that will be eligible for payment under the new Regime. Such information will be established when the new system is fully operational and applications received under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme are assessed. The main benefit for Natura land is the positive impact the provisions will have on the level of exclusions in respect of the current and future years.
