Vol. 572 No. 6
171 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, further to Parliamentary Question No. 106 of 2 October 2003, if a person (details supplied) in County Clare substantiated their entitlement to commonage lands in accord ance with the REP scheme specifications; if considerable supporting documentation was also supplied by this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23922/03]
172 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, further to Parliamentary Question No. 106 of 2 October 2003, if the other party submitted no significant details in support of their claim and did not swear an affidavit claiming ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23923/03]
173 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food, further to Parliamentary Question No. 106 of 2 October 2003, if his Department is discriminating on the basis of a spurious and unsupported claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23924/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 to 173, inclusive, together.
As I stated in reply to Question No. 106 of 2 October 2003, my Department has received conflicting claims from the person named and another person for payment on a particular land parcel. Neither claimant has supplied proof of ownership of the land in question in accordance with the REP scheme specifications, which list the requirements for land to be deemed eligible for payment. While the person named has submitted documentation in support of her claim, it does not satisfy the REPS requirements. It is not the function of the Department to adjudicate on conflicting claims to land ownership.
Both parties have been notified of the fact that there are conflicting claims and that no further payments can be made on the land until the conflict is resolved. They were also advised that if neither could provide evidence of title in accordance with REPS specifications, a joint affidavit could be submitted which, if acceptable, would enable payment to be made on the land. Their REPS planners will be in a position to advise them in this regard. A previous decision of the independent agriculture appeals office is currently being reviewed by its director.
