Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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185. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will instruct his Department to issue disadvantaged area and single farm payment on the remainder of the holding which is in order where there is a portion of land that represents 1% or less of the holding over which there is a discrepancy, so as to alleviate the financial pressure on farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44068/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am very conscious in the context of the ongoing review of the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) of the need, given the financial pressure on many farmers, to minimise the impact on payments under the Single Payment and Disadvantaged Areas schemes. Accordingly arrangements have been put in place, whereby applicants with any over-claims which arise during the processing of their 2013 SPS applications, are processed immediately for payment with the reduction and, if appropriate, the relevant penalty applied. This is reflected in the payment figures under the SPS, on 16th October 2013, with €540 million paid to 108,000 farmers. To date total payments of €169 million have issued to 80,000 farmers under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. This means that my Department has achieved the commitment given that the parcel review process would not hold up payments.