Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2015
379. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the €67.6 million land parcel identification system fine will be drawn down from the 2015 Estimates or the 2016 Estimates; the impact this will have on his Department's expenditure plans for the year in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34320/15]
View answerIn July 2015 the Commission advised my Department of their intention to exclude a total of approximately €67.6 million from EU funding of various agricultural Direct Payment schemes for the seven year period from 2008 to 2014. This represents 0.56% of the €12 billion in EU funding for these schemes in this extended period.
This was the culmination of a prolonged process which had commenced with a proposed 2% flat rate financial correction for Ireland of €181.5 million arising from its Conformity Clearance audits in 2009, 2010 and 2012 and included the examination of 900,000 land parcels, a Conciliation hearing and intensive communication with the Commission.
The current proposal consists of two elements - €64 million exclusion for the period 2008 – 2012 and €3.6 million for the period 2013 – 2014. It must be noted that there is a decrease of almost 86% in the average annual level of correction for the 2013 – 2014 period relative to the correction for the 2008 – 2014 period. This clearly illustrates the very positive impact of the 2013 LPIS review carried out by my Department.
The proposal, by the Commission, will now go forward to the Committee on the Agricultural Funds for consultation before the Commission makes a final decision probably in late autumn. The proposal, which is a complex and detailed document, is being simultaneously scrutinised by my Department and decisions regarding repayment must await the final confirmatory decision. Pending the Commission’s final decision of the dossiers, my Department is currently considering the options open to it in relation to the funding of the payments to the Commission.
