Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will furnish a response to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6487/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the governing EU Regulations, payments under the Single Farm Payment may be made only in respect of eligible land and applicants under the Scheme are obliged annually to declare the land parcels available to them. Details of the eligible area of the land parcels are recorded on my Department's Land Parcel Identification System. It is also necessary for applicants to exclude ineligible features such as scrub, roadways, etc. Therefore, the LPIS database has to be amended on an ongoing basis to reflect any permanent changes such as parcel boundary changes, addition of new parcels, etc.

Having reviewed the declarations made by the person named, specific issues were identified with regard to the areas declared, in that it was found that one of the land parcels contained buildings, while another contained forestry, which are ineligible areas under the Single Payment Scheme. Furthermore, as the person named was found not to have made sufficient allowance for these ineligible areas, the payments which issued were calculated accordingly, subject to the regulatory reductions. However, following consideration of an appeal from the person named, the areas initially deemed ineligible were reviewed and re-calculated, the net effect being the issuing of a supplementary payment to the person named on 24 January 2011.

With specific regard to the representations which the Deputy lodged on behalf of the person named, it does appear that a response did not issue, which is regretted. It can only be concluded that this was due to inadvertent oversight. Mindful of all the circumstances of this case, I have arranged for one of my officials to make direct contact with the person named.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount of the 2010 single farm payment paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6521/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 14 May 2010. During validation of the application an over-claim was identified on one of the parcels declared. This error was raised with the person named and a reply was received to state that the applicant was accepting the amended reference area. Payments were calculated on this basis: the advance payment issued on 18 October 2010 and the balancing payment on 1 December 2010.