Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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163. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo did not receive their disadvantaged area payment for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21875/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In order to comply with EU requirements, the applicant was one of a number selected for inspection under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme.

This inspection identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area found for the Single Payment Scheme which while not significant enough to incur a penalty did result in a reduction to payment as per the Terms and Conditions of the scheme. The person named was informed of this decision on the 2 January 2014 and was also informed of his right to have the outcome reviewed.

Under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme, a claimed are of 30.65ha of Mountain Type land was reduced to a found area of 22.83ha. This resulted in an over-declaration of the Mountain Type Crop Category of 34.25%. As per the Terms and Conditions of the scheme where the difference between the area claimed and the area found for the crop category concerned is greater than 20%, no payment shall be made in respect of this crop group for the scheme year in question.

A review of this decision was received on the 29January 2014 and a letter upholding the original outcome issued on the 13 May 2014. The person named was also informed of their right to appeal the outcome of the review to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office within 3 months of the date of the review.