Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 311: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not received their grassland sheep scheme payment; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the failure to return certain documents was beyond the person's control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38404/11]

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

An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Grassland Sheep Scheme was received from the person named on the 10 May 2010. This application was fully processed and payment under the Grassland Sheep Scheme issued on 4 February 2011, based, in accordance with the provisions of the Scheme, on the original 2009 Sheep Census return received by my Department on 22 January 2010, which indicated that the person named had 90 breeding ewes in his flock.

An application under the 2011 Single Payment Scheme/Grassland Sheep Scheme was received from the person named on 9 May 2011 and, while payments have yet to commence under the 2011 Grassland Sheep Scheme, following validation it was found that the person named had not submitted the 2010 Sheep Census, as required. Therefore, no payment is due to the person named under the 2011 Grassland Sheep Scheme.

To date, my Department has received no correspondence from the person named in this regard and, therefore, is not aware of any potentially mitigating circumstances, as alluded to by the Deputy. Should the person named be of the view that there are acceptable mitigating circumstances, he should write directly to the Grassland Sheep Scheme Section of my Department (Government Offices, Portlaoise, Co. Laois), without delay, outlining clearly the circumstances involved and enclosing any relevant supporting documentation.