My Department , in the context of delivering the Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme, and other area based schemes, is required to carry out an annual round of inspections, both in the field and by means of Remote Sensing, to ensure the eligibility of land declared to drawdown payments. The basis of these inspections is governed by EU legislation and there are minimum numbers that must be conducted each year.
Land eligibility checks must be carried out on at least 5% of applicants. In response to concerns about the impact of on-the-ground inspections on farmers, 6,715 cases or some 85% of the required 2014 inspections are initially being carried out without the need for a farm visit as the information needed is acquired using the technique of remote sensing via satellite.
The EU Regulations governing Remote Sensing inspections also require that where it is not possible to make an accurate determination on the eligibility of a parcel or parcels of land by means of an assessment of the available satellite imagery, a field inspection must be undertaken to verify the eligibility of the land.
My Department continues, on a daily basis, to process outstanding applications (including inspection cases) to finalisation with the intention of issuing any payments due as soon as possible. The following tables detail the data requested in relation to inspections, payments, etc.
2014 Single Payment Scheme
|
Total Selected for Satellite Inspection
|
Total Paid to Date
|
Total Finalised & Payment to issue this week
|
Total being Processed to Finalisation
|
|
6,57 5
|
3,942
|
1,132
|
1,501
|
2014 Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme
|
Total Selected for Satellite Inspection
|
Total Paid to Date
|
Total Finalised & Payment to issue this week
|
Total being Processed to Finalisation
|
|
5,728
|
2,183
|
1,074
|
2,471 *
|
*
Note - Of the total number of cases being processed to finalisation, 1,065 cases have specific DAS related issues outstanding, e.g. failure to meet stocking density requirements , etc .
The following tables detail the data requested in relation to reductions.
2014 Single Payment Scheme
|
Total Paid/Payment to issue this week - Reduction Less than 3%
|
Total Paid/Payment to issue this week - Reduction Greater than 3%
|
|
702
|
290
|
2014 Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme
|
DAS Land Type/
Crop Group Category
|
Total Paid /Ready for Payment - Reduction Less than 3% * *
|
Total Paid /Ready for Payment - Reduction Greater than 3% * *
|
|
Mountain Type Grazing
|
12 5
|
8 6
|
|
More Severely Handicapped
|
246
|
8 2
|
|
Less Severely Handicapped
|
48
|
2 3
|
* * Note – As different aid rates apply to the different Crop Group Categories within DAS, reductions are applied at individual crop group category. An individual applicant may incur a reduction in one or more Crop Group Categories
