Written Answers Nos. 86-91
86. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the cost of providing satellite imagery to his Department during the past four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22982/15]
View answerMy Department has incurred no costs in providing satellite imagery during the past four years.
87. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when Suckler Payments for 2014 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22523/15]
View answerThe person named submitted applications under the 2014 Beef Data Programme and Beef Genomics Scheme on 20 March 2014.
Validations under the 2014 Beef Data Programme will commence shortly with payments to issue in the coming weeks to all eligible applicants. Under the Beef Genomics Scheme the person named was required to genotype six animals within prescribed time periods, however four of the test samples were not returned within the time limits provided for in the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. Therefore, the person named is not eligible for payment under the Scheme. It is open to the person named to seek a review of this decision and should do so in writing to Beef Schemes Section, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, County Laois with any supporting documentation that is deemed relevant to the review application.
88. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Single Farm Payments have been reduced in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22529/15]
View answerAn application under the 2014 Single Farm Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 11th May 2014 with a claimed area of 32.99 hectares, 4.08 hectares of which were forestry.
Afforested land was eligible to draw down a Single Farm Payment in 2014 provided that the applicant who declares afforested land is the person (or persons in joint management) in receipt of the afforestation premium.
As the forestry contract holder for the parcels in question was not the person named in 2014, these forestry parcels are not eligible to draw down a 2014 Single Farm Payment by the person named. Full payment has issued to the person named in respect of the remaining eligible hectares.
89. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Forestry Premium payments have been reduced in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22531/15]
View answerThe applicant received the first premium for the contract number CN67593 in November 2014 for an amount of €1,656.76. The second premium was paid in January 2015 for the same amount. Both premiums were paid at the correct rate and in full, and no deductions were made.
90. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Calf Premium Payments have not issued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22540/15]
View answerThe person named submitted applications under the 2014 Beef Data Programme and the Beef Genomics Scheme on 24 March 2014. As all of the required data has not been received for the Beef Data Programme and all of the genotype samples were not returned within the time limits under the Terms and Conditions of Genomics Scheme, the person named is ineligible for payment under both Schemes. It is open to the person named to seek a review of the decisions under one or both of the Schemes. If he wishes to pursue this option, he should submit his review application to the Beef Schemes Section, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, County Laois with any supporting documentation that is deemed relevant to the review application.
91. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the recent changes in land eligibility for the Basic Payment Scheme, if he has considered an amnesty for those farmers who have been penalised under the old Single Payment Scheme rules; if so, the outcome of the deliberations; if an amnesty and-or refund is being granted, does the farmer need to apply for it and for other associated clawbacks and-or penalties, for example under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, or will these be automatically refunded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22547/15]
View answerFollowing the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the Basic Payment Scheme and the Greening Payment replaced the Single Payment Scheme with effect from January 2015. The requirements in relation to land eligibility under these and other Direct Payment Schemes are contained in Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014 and differ from the requirements under the Single Payment Scheme. The new requirements implemented in Ireland essentially provide that agricultural land must be maintained in a state suitable for grazing or cultivation without preparatory action going beyond usual agricultural methods and machineries.
As the new requirements are applicable from 1 January 2015, it is not legally possible to apply these provisions to the land declared for payment under the Direct Payment Schemes in 2013. It is, however, open to farmers, who had deductions or sanctions imposed on their payments under the 2013 LPIS Review to request a review of their case if they have not already done so. If they are not happy with the outcome of the review process, they have the option of submitting an appeal to the independent LPIS Appeals Committee.
