Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2015
282. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the significant reduction in the rate of payment under the single payment scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if entitlements bought in 2014 have been included in the calculation of the 2015 entitlement; if leased land has been included in the calculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39331/15]
View answerThe number of entitlements to be allocated to any one farmer under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 is based on the number of eligible hectares declared in 2013 or 2015, whichever is lesser. The person named declared 69.42 hectares of eligible land in 2013 and, in 2015 declared 86.29 which includes 27.34 hectares declared in relation to a Private Contract Clause application, therefore he will be allocated 58.95 entitlements.
In 2014, the person named submitted two Transfer of Entitlements application forms and applied to purchase 7.00 entitlements with a total value of €2082.71 from another farmer and also an Inheritance of 7.6 entitlements with a total value of €1436.40 from another farmer. These applications were successful and payment issued accordingly. This increased the total value of entitlements held by the person named in 2014 to €20,524.92.
The 2015 value of entitlements is based on a fixed percentage of the total value of entitlements owned by the farmer in 2014 plus the value of any payment received under the Grassland Sheep Scheme in that year. As with all farmers, a person’s direct payment in 2015 is no longer based solely on entitlements but is divided between the Basic Payment Scheme and the Greening payment.
In 2015 the person named has established 58.95 entitlements with an estimated unit value of €226.34. As this unit value is above the National Average, his entitlements will be subject to gradual reduction from 2015 to 2019. For 2015, the total value of his Basic Payment Scheme entitlements and greening is €19,234.80.
In addition, my Department received a 2015 Private Contract Clause application from the person named. Clarification on some outstanding issues was required and this application has now been fully processed. Advance payment under the basic Payment Scheme will issue as soon as possible.
