James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 420: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the amount a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim is being required to pay in relation to the area based compensation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33020/11]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 464: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim has been requested to repay a purported overpayment under the 2008 disadvantaged area scheme, when in fact the person contends that it was an underpayment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33361/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 464 together.

Under the 2010 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the person named received a seventy-five percent advance payment based on those parcels cleared at the time of payment. Subsequently, following digitising of all remaining parcels on the holding, the claimed forage area of the person named increased, thereby requiring a higher stocking density rate. The person named was informed of this in writing and requested to submit any additional information they may have in relation to additional stock on the holding. In the absence of evidence of further qualifying animals, the application of the person named was confirmed not to have met the required minimum stocking density requirement, as a result of which an overpayment of €1,010.74 was levied. This sum was recouped as follows: €288.16 (2010 SPS, 24 March 2011), €722.58 (REPS, 11 July 2011).

In relation to the overpayment under the 2008 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, this arose following a review of eligible areas as submitted by the person named, on foot of which ineligible areas were identified. The ineligible area in question was measured as 0.57 hectares, the annual monetary value of the this being €54.72 under DAS, for both years 2008 and 2009, with further annual penalties of €17.68 (2008) and €18.60 (2009) under the Single Payment Scheme. All sums were recouped from the 50% advance of the 2011 Single Payment, which issued to person named on 17 October.