Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 528: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will confirm the number of farmers awaiting their agri-environment options scheme payment in County Tipperary; the average wait for such a payment; when he expects to be in a position to make these payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9788/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Some 452 farmers in Tipperary have been approved entry into the Agri-Environment Options Scheme.

Under the EU Regulations governing the Agri-Environment Options Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Payments will commence at the earliest possible date once these checks have been completed.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 529: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if a review of entitlement payment for 2010 will be carried out in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9800/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have made the necessary arrangements to have an official of my Department undertake a full review of this case and to contact the person named directly in this regard.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 530: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the level of rural environment protection scheme payment that will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9821/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced REPS 3 in December 2006 and received payment in respect of Year 4 on 12 May 2010. Following an inspection in November 2010 the person named was notified by letter dated 14 March 2011 of a 100% penalty on his year 5 payment. This letter also informed the person named of the right of appeal to the Agricultural Appeals Office within three months from the date of notification of the penalty. No record of appeal has been received by that office to date.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 531: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reasons for a cut in the entitlements being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9822/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the Single Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 12th of May 2010. The person named declared 118.27 ha on this application but the declared area was reduced to 115.90 ha following a commonage review. The application was selected for a ground eligibility and full cross compliance inspection. During the ground eligibility inspection discrepancies were noted in relation to parcels numbers H20917055, H20917047, H20917056, H21408022, H21408024 and H22134039 in that inadequate deductions were made for scrub, trees and a farm roadway.

As a result of the above discrepancies, the total area found post inspection and digitisation on my Department's mapping system was 109.63 ha. The total number of entitlements held by the person named was 121.87 ha. As per the Terms and Conditions of the Single Payment Scheme, if the difference between the area found and the area declared or the number of entitlements held (if lower) is greater than 3% but not more than 20% of the area found, payment is based on the number of eligible hectares found reduced by twice the difference (in hectares).

In this case, as the area declared was less than the number of entitlements held the calculation was based on the area declared 115.90 ha and the application of the penalties for the over-declaration of areas, as outlined above, resulted in the payable area being reduced to 97.09 ha. Full payment on this basis net of modulation issued to the person named on the 21st of December 2010. The person named was informed of the results of the inspection on the 4th of November 2010 and of his right to seek a review and has since contacted the District Inspector for his area in relation to same. He was also informed of his right to appeal the outcome of any review to the Independent Agriculture Appeals Office.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 532: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a rural environment protection scheme payment will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9823/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2009 and received the year 1 payment in May 2010. A query relating to soil samples arose and an amended plan was requested in April 2011. The application of the person named will be processed upon receipt of the amended plan.