Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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367. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the requirements that must be fulfilled in order to draw down payment under the common agricultural policy on these two areas, farmland afforested prior to 2009; and farmland afforested in 2009 or after. [28497/14]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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368. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if farmland afforested prior to 2009 is not eligible for consideration as part of the calculation of a farmer's direct payments and his/her basic payment in particular; the other sources of European Union funding available with regard to this afforested land. [28498/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 367 and 368 together.

When the Single Payment Scheme was introduced in 2005, land afforested under an EU funded, or an equivalent nationally funded, Afforestation Aid Scheme was not eligible for payment. Therefore, lands afforested during the period 2005 to 2008 were not and cannot now become eligible for payment under the Single Payment Scheme. However, provision was made in the Regulations whereby farmers, who afforested part of their holding under the Afforestation Aid Scheme, could consolidate their entitlements on the reduced number of eligible hectares that they farmed. That meant that farmers could benefit from full payment under both the Single Payment Scheme and Afforestation Aid Scheme. Many farmers in Ireland, who afforested part of their holdings, took advantage of these provisions.

Following changes to the EU Regulations arising from the adoption of the CAP Health Check proposals, land which was afforested since 2009 is eligible to draw down a payment under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS), provided that the afforested land meets the following requirements:

- The land to be afforested was declared on a 2008 SPS application form;

- The applicant who declared that land on a 2008 SPS application form was paid under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme;

- The afforested was eligible for payment in 2008;

- The afforested land meets all the requirements of the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme.

Similar provisions covering the eligibility of afforested land are contained in Regulation (EU) 1307/2013 governing the requirements of the Basic Payment Scheme, which will replace the Single Payment Scheme from 2015 onwards.

It should be noted that the Afforestation Scheme is nationally funded.