Written Answers Nos. 86-91
86. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a farm payment for 2015 to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39748/15]
View answerThe person named submitted a 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 7 April 2015. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks be completed before any payments issue. The application of the person named has now been finalised and I expect that payments due will shortly issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.
87. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal under the single farm payment scheme and the areas of natural constraint scheme 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39749/15]
View answerAn application under Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes was received from the person named on 27 May 2015. Processing of the application under both schemes has been completed. Payments in respect of both schemes have issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
88. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 19 of 14 October 2015, when a payment under the areas of natural constraints scheme 2015 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39751/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 16 March 2015. Processing of the application has recently finalised with part of this payment being recouped by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. The balancing payment has issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
89. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a decision will be made by the land parcel identification system appeals committee regarding a basic payment scheme forage area inspection for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39753/15]
View answerAs you may be aware my Department is currently examining land parcels declared under the Single Payment Scheme and other area-based Direct Payment Schemes. As part of this review ineligible areas were identified and removed from a number of parcels declared by the person named. The person named claimed 33.99 ha on their 2013 Single Payment application, and the removal of the ineligible areas, resulted in a reduction of 4.96 hectares, which was notified to the person named. The reduction of 4.96 hectares was due to ineligible features including areas of scrub, buildings, trees, a farm yard, a quarry and farm roads, which had been included in the applicant’s claimed area. An over-payment of €3,149.97 was established under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme application submitted by the person named.
Following an appeal from the person named my Department carried a review of the case. A field visit by a Department official was deemed necessary to verify the position. The applicant was informed of the outcome of this review, which was to uphold the original decision, in a letter dated 14 May 2015. The person named was informed of his right to submit an appeal to the LPIS Appeals Committee.
The person named subsequently appealed this decision to the independently chaired LPIS Committee by letters dated 27 May 201 5 and 29 July 2015. This Committee have considered the matter and I expect that a decision will shortly issue to the person named. If dissatisfied, the person named can appeal this decision to the Office of the Ombudsman.
90. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a decision has been made on an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry of a non-compliance penalty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39755/15]
View answerThe penalty applied under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme relates to breaches of Cross Compliance requirements. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Basic Payment Scheme, an applicant as well as meeting the Scheme criteria is required to comply with EU regulatory requirements relating to Cross Compliance.
A report detailing non-compliances observed by Kerry County Council on 28 July 2015 was referred to my Department’s Cross Compliance Unit for attention.
This report detailed breaches relating to the cross compliance requirements under the Nitrates Regulations.
The breaches under the Nitrates Regulations related to:
- The spreading of slurry close to the water intake of a drinking water treatment plant, and
- The spread zone was within 200 meters of the water course.
These breaches resulted in a 5% penalty being applied against the 2015 Direct Schemes payments.
The person named was notified of this decision on 15 September 2015. The person named appealed this decision to the District Inspector for the region on 5 October 2015 and this request is currently being considered. The person named will be notified of the outcome as soon as possible. In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of this review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.
91. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments under the areas of natural constraint scheme and the basic payment scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39762/15]
View answerAn application under Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 28 May 2015. Processing of the application is currently in progress. On completion of this process, the application will be further reviewed with a view to payment issuing directly to the nominated bank account of the person named at the earliest possible date.
