Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2019
491. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter regarding farm payments in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21719/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named was allocated 7.61 entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme. All entitlements allocated under the Basic Payment Scheme and National Reserve are subject to usage. If a farmer holds entitlements that have not been used for a period of two consecutive years, a number of entitlements, equivalent to the total number of entitlements which have not been used, shall revert to the National Reserve.
The person named did not submit a 2016 Basic Payment Scheme application and, therefore, the entitlements were not used in that year. My Department issued the person named with a Potential Unused Notification on 24 April 2017, advising that, if the entitlements were not used in 2017, they would be lost permanently to the National Reserve.
Again in 2017, the person named did not submit a 2017 Basic Payment Scheme application and the entitlements were not used for the second consecutive year.
On 14 March 2018, my Department issued the person named with further notification that, as he had not used 100% of his entitlements over the two year usage period, 2016 and 2017, and in line with EU Regulation 1307/2013, 7.61 entitlements had been permanently lost to the National Reserve.
The person named was provided with the option to submit any observations he had on the matter to my Department. To date, my Department has not received any correspondence from the person named appealing the loss of his entitlements to the National Reserve.
In 2018, the person named submitted a 2018 Basic Payment Scheme application. However, payment is not due on foot of this application, as the person named did not satisfy requirements of the Basic Payment Scheme.
