Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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471. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the options open to farmers who failed to tick the box on their single farm payment to confirm that they were seeking suckler welfare scheme payments in terms of appealing or seeking to receive the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41817/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Beef Data Programme was introduced in 2013 and is funded using the unused funds of the Single Payment Scheme. The EU Regulations governing the Programme provided for a closing date of 15^th May 2013, with a 1% reduction in payment applied to the application for each working day that the application is late up to 8 June 2013. Applications received on/after 9 June were deemed inadmissible in accordance with the provisions of the EU Regulations.

Farmers, whose applications were not submitted by the deadline, can appeal the decision, on the grounds of force majeure/exceptional circumstances. They can submit their appeal outlining the reasons as to why the application was not submitted within the required timeframe, to Beef Data Programme Section, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Government Offices, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laoiswhere their appeal will be considered.