Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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622. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Carlow is deemed eligible for a top-up payment for a single farm payment under the Scottish derogation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22995/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The so-called Scottish Derogation provides for an allocation of entitlements under the new Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 to persons who never held entitlements, either owned or leased, under the current Single Payment Scheme. In addition such persons must provide verifiable evidence that they produced an agricultural product in the beef, dairying, sheep or arable sectors in 2013.

Department records indicate that the person named did not establish Single Payment entitlements in 2005 nor held entitlements in any subsequent year of that Scheme. The person named did participate in the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme for a period including the 2013 scheme year and therefore there is evidence of active farming for that year. While this initial assessment indicates that the person named complies with the conditions required for the Scottish derogation, the question of eligibility can only be confirmed once the Terms and Conditions of the scheme have been published.