Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 January 2018
256. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4845/18]
View answerThis PQ relates to illegal burning which was determined by my Department to have taken place during the period 1st March to 31st August 2017.
My Department actively investigates incidents of illegal burning using satellite imagery. Where land has been burned between the period of 1 March and 31 August of any given year it is not eligible for payment under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).
The person named submitted an application under the 2017 BPS on 24 April 2017. In order to qualify for payment under the BPS an applicant must have an eligible hectare of land in respect of each entitlement held.
As part of the process of determining land eligibility, parcels declared by the person named on his 2017 BPS application have been identified as having been burned outside of the permitted timeframes. Accordingly, such lands are not eligible for the purpose of a BPS payment and this has created an over claim on the named person’s BPS application. The over claimed land has been excluded from the his BPS application and he was paid on 14 December 2017 in respect of the remaining eligible hectares.
The person named was notified by my Department on 4 December 2017 about the burned land parcels and has submitted an appeal. This appeal will be examined with a view to an early decision. Should additional information be required, my Department will contact the person named directly.
