Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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231. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment of a disadvantaged area scheme grant and agri-environment option scheme for 2013 and 2014 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45011/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 30 April 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.

The EU Regulations also require that where it is not possible to make an accurate determination on the eligibility of a parcel or parcels of land by means of an assessment of the available satellite imagery, a field inspection must be undertaken to verify the eligibility of the land.

The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing inspection. Initial processing of this inspection identified a requirement to verify the eligibility of land declared by means of a field inspection.

On completion of this inspection the results will be finalised with the intention of issuing any 2014 payment s due as soon as possible. In the event that any queries arise officials in my Department will be in contact with the person named.

Payment under Disadvantaged Areas Scheme 2013 issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named on 24 September 2013. Payment under Disadvantaged Areas Scheme 2014 is due to issue as indicated above, following the completion of the Remote Sensing Inspection.

The person named was approved for participation in the 2012 Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 3) with effect from 1 May 2013 and full entitlements have issued in respect of the 2013 Scheme year. I expect payments in respect of the 2014 Scheme year to commence shortly.