Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Ceisteanna (94)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

94. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the new pro rata system being introduced for exclusion of scrub land and so on from eligibility as forage area for the new basic farm payment scheme and the greening scheme, to outline his plans to reissue the maps issued to farmers this year, with reference areas calculated under the old system, and replace them with maps showing the reference areas calculated under the new pro rata system; if extra time will be provided to farmers to readjust their applications in line with the new pro rata system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18076/15]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The new pro-rata system and the use of the Reduction Coefficient applying to land parcels with scattered scrub are fully explained in the Land Eligibility booklet, which is being issued to all farmers. In essence, the assessment will be undertaken at parcel level following the exclusion of all areas, which are fully ineligible.

The creation of new reference areas for a significant number of land parcels across the entire Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) database is a complex matter and has to be approached very carefully. Significant and systematic testing is required to ensure that the re-calculations are accurate. In addition, the printing of new maps for all of these parcels would take some time. The creation of new reference areas for parcels would mean that new parcel identification numbers would need to be allocated to the altered parcels. Such significant data changes at this stage of the 2015 application period would pose a risk to the farmers or their Agents submitting applications under the Basic Payment Scheme, the Greening Payment and GLAS. Given the timelines and the risks involved it would not be possible to issue new maps to all of the applicants involved at this stage.