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Basic Payment Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 December 2020

Wednesday, 16 December 2020

Ceisteanna (360)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

360. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there was an overclaim assessed against a farmer (details supplied) in County Galway in either 2018, 2019 or 2020; if he will provides details of the overclaim assessed and the penalty applied; the amount of this that has been recouped to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43732/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Under the 2019 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), a commonage parcel declared by the person named on their BPS application was subject to a ground inspection on 2nd, 7th and 9th August 2019. A re-inspection of the parcel took place on 23rd August 2019. The inspection process determined that there was no agricultural activity or evidence of livestock activity on the parcel on any of the dates visited and the maximum eligible area of the parcel was thus reduced to zero. As a result, an over claim was assessed on the BPS application and the relevant BPS penalties were applied.

Upon request, a review of this finding was carried by my officials. This review upheld the original decision that there was no agricultural activity on the commonage parcel. The relevant reductions and penalties, amounting to €4,402.14, in relation to the BPS payment of the person named have now been fully recouped. Any further impacts in relation to payment under other area based schemes such as GLAS and the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme are currently being processed by my Department.

An appeal on the inspection outcome of this commonage parcel has been lodged with the Agriculture Appeals Office. My Department will be notified of the outcome of this upon completion of the formal appeals process.

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