Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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347. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason payment has not increased in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51598/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There is no correlation between the level of stock maintained by any given participant in the Single Payment Scheme and the payment due to that person under the Scheme. Payments under the Single Payment Scheme are governed by the number and value of Payment Entitlements held.

Under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, while there is a requirement on applicants to achieve a minimum stocking density on their holdings, once this minimum is achieved the level of aid payable does not increase in line with increased stock numbers. The rate payable is dictated by the classification of the land of the individual in question. The Terms and Conditions of the 2013 Scheme advises as follows in this regard:

E. Aid levels

The Disadvantaged Areas Scheme provides for payment as follows:

Mountain Type Grazing: €109.71 on first 10 forage hectares, or part thereof, and €95.99 per hectare on remaining hectares up to a maximum of 34 hectares*.

More Severely Handicapped Lowland: €95.99 per forage hectare up to a maximum of 30 hectares.

Less Severely Handicapped Lowland and Coastal Areas with Specific Handicaps: €82.27 per forage hectare up to a maximum of 30 hectares.

* The top-up of €13.72 on the first 10 hectares of Mountain Type Grazing will only be paid to farmers, who maintain a sheep, cattle or goat enterprise or a combination of these enterprises.

Farmers maintaining a combination of Mountain Type Grazing, More Severely Handicapped Lowland and/or Less Severely Handicapped Lowland and Coastal Areas with Specific Handicaps, will be paid up to a maximum of 30 hectares except where the area of Mountain Type Grazing declared is between 30 and 34 hectares. In these cases, the payment will be based on the number of hectares of Mountain Type Grazing declared.

Booklets containing the Terms and Conditions governing both Schemes are supplied annually by my Department to all Scheme participants. In addition, the Terms and Conditions are published on my Department’s website.