Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

322. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a single farm payment for 2013 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1366/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The person named submitted a 2013 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme application on 8 May 2013. EU regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases on-farm inspections, be completed. T he 2013 application of the person named was selected for a cross compliance animal identification and registration inspection and a ground eligibility inspection. The cross compliance inspection identified breaches in relation to sheep identification and registration requirements. This resulted in a 3% penalty being applied against the 2013 payments. The person named was notified of this decision on 17 October 2013.

The ground eligibility inspection identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area found resulting in an over-declaration in area of greater than 20%. Under the terms and conditions of the Single Payment Scheme t his resulted in no payment in respect of the 2013 scheme. The person named was notified of this decision on 3 January 2014.

The person named sought a review of these decisions. The review of the cross compliance penalty was unsuccessful and the penalty was increased from 3% to 5% . The review of the outcome of ground eligibility inspection was successful resulting in no area over-declaration penalty applying.

The person named was notified of the outcome the review on 15 October 2014. The person named was also informed of the right to appeal the decision to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months. I understand that no such appeal has been lodged with the Appeals Office to date.

Payment due under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme, on the basis set out above, will issue to the nominated bank account of the person as soon as possible.