Written Answers Nos 250-259
250. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the single payment scheme 2015 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39045/15]
View answerMy Department received a 2015 Private Contract Clause application from the person named. The application has been processed and payment under the Basic Payment Scheme will issue as soon as possible.
The person named also submitted a 2015 National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme application to my Department. Processing of National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme applications is underway which involves administrative and on farm checks and verification of land details submitted under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application.
These checks are required under EU Regulations. In cases where additional information is required, my Department will correspond directly with the applicant concerned. When all checks have been completed and processing of applications has been finalised, my Department will correspond directly with each applicant to advise them of the outcome of their application. Payments to successful applicants under the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme will commence early in December 2015.
251. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the case of persons (details supplied) who applied for the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme who wish to fence a watercourse but cannot due to the exclusion of an existing watercourse from the mapping system produced by the Environmental Protection Agency, and used in this scheme; if there are other instances of mapping errors, such as the one highlighted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39073/15]
View answerThe first thing to note is that not all watercourses are automatically eligible for GLAS: only those watercourses which are shown on the GLAS mapping system, and which were identified to my Department by the EPA, are eligible to be considered.
The dedicated online GLAS System has a Draft Online Application recorded for the person named. The application was never submitted to my Department therefore it cannot be considered under GLAS 1. My Department officials have examined the issue in relation to the land parcel number provided and found that the GLAS system does allow for watercourses to be mapped and selected for the protection of watercourses from bovine action on this parcel and the question of an error on the mapping system does not arise.
252. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payments under the single payment and disadvantaged areas schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39092/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 23 April 2015. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection. This inspection is currently being processed with the intention of issuing any payments due under the Direct Payments Schemes as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
253. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a decision on an application under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39093/15]
View answerI can confirm that my Department received an application from the person named to join GLAS, the Green Low-carbon Agri-Environment Scheme. I am pleased to say that all required pre-approval validation checks have been successfully completed and the application has been approved. A letter has issued to the person named notifying him of this and of his contract commencement date.
254. Deputy Michael P. Kitt asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments under the agri-environment options scheme will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39107/15]
View answerMy Department is currently examining approximately 400 cases that submitted invoices from one particular company to verify and support claims under the non-productive capital investment action of AEOS. It is known that in some cases the invoices submitted were for amounts different to those actually paid by the participants.
Funding provided under the scheme comes partly from the EU and partly from the National Exchequer. There is a requirement and obligation to ensure that the expenditure claimed by scheme participants reflects the reality of what took place. For that reason my Department wrote to participants requesting alternative proof that the amounts claimed were in fact the amounts paid.
The person named above was written to on 11 June 2015 regarding the non-productive capital investment claim that they had submitted on the 12 October 2011. This letter requested the submission of alternative verifiable proof to support one of the invoices that was included in the claim for expenditure incurred. A reply to this letter was received on 30 June last. In the reply the person named-above lists payments that he claims were made by both cheque and cash, a number of which were not made until January 2012.
My Department officials carefully examined the application in light of this reply; this examination indicated that the amount claimed had not been satisfactorily verified and that the amounts claimed were greater than the costs in verified cases. A letter informing the applicant of this determination, and of the proposed penalty to be imposed, was issued on 14 October. This letter also offered the applicant an opportunity to have the determination reviewed within the Department and to submit additional information if he wished.
A request to have the determination reviewed was received from the person named on 28 October. This correspondence also stated that further information would be forwarded. Officials will review the case when the further information referred to is received.
255. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway did not receive full payment under the areas of natural constraint scheme 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39112/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme was received from the person named on 17 April 2015. This application was subject to verification checks which were recently finalised. As part of this process, a reduction between the claimed and determined area was identified on four parcels of Mountain Type Crop Group. The person named was notified of the resultant penalty on 12 October, 2015 and advised of the right to appeal. To date no appeal has been received.
256. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not received farm payments for 2015; when the payments will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39116/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 23 March 2015. Processing of the application has recently been finalised and payment will issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
257. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payments under the disadvantaged areas and single payment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39120/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 20 April 2015. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.
The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing eligibility inspection. This inspection is currently being processed with the intention of issuing any payments due under the Direct Payments Schemes as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.
258. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the single payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39123/15]
View answerAn application under Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes was received from the person named on 21 May 2015. Processing under both schemes has been finalised, and payment has issued to the designated bank account.
259. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the single payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39127/15]
View answerAn application under Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes was received from the person named on 21 May 2015. Processing under both schemes has been finalised, and payment will issue shortly to the designated bank account.
