Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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649. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford was deducted moneys from their single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4279/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department’s records indicate that in 2012, the amount of nitrogen from livestock manure applied to land on the holding of the person named (including that deposited by animals) was 651 kgs per hectare, which exceeded the limit of 170 kgs per hectare set down in the Nitrates Regulations.

The person named supplied details of additional land available to him in 2012 and the nitrogen per hectare figure was reduced to 188kgs, with the penalty accordingly reduced from 20% to 3% of his 2012 Single Farm Payment. He was informed of this decision on 25 November 2013 but the initial reduction penalty of 20% on his 2012 Single Farm payment was inadvertently applied. A letter informing him of this issued on 18 December 2013 and payment will be refunded this week.

The person named was advised of his right of appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office and has until 25 February 2014 to avail of this option, i.e three months after the final decision of my Department.

The person named was the subject of a Nitrates inspection by my Department, on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, on 4 March 2013. This inspection recorded breaches under the Nitrates Regulations relating to the inadequate collection of livestock manure, resulting in a penalty of 1% being applied against the 2013 Direct Payments.

The person named was notified of this decision on 13 March 2013. The person named was also informed of the right to seek a review of this decision. To date no request for a review has been received by my Department. In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of any such review, the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office within 3 months.