Paul Connaughton (Galway East, 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 Galway received a substantial reduction in their single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5205/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme was received in my Department from the person named on 23 April 2014. Following processing, full payment issued directly to the nominated bank account of the person named, the first instalment issuing on 16 October 2014 and the balance issuing on 1 December 2014. Following the Reform of the CAP, changes were made to the payments under the Single Payment Scheme. Under the 2013 Scheme, payments were subjected to a 10% Modulation deduction with the first €5,000 paid to all farmers exempt from the deduction. The monies deducted under Modulation were made available to Member State for funding Pillar II Schemes. From 2014 , the Modulation deduction no longer applied but the total amount of funding was deducted from the National Ceiling and permanently transferred to Pillar II. As the National Ceilings of Member States were reduced, the EU Regulations provided for a reduction in the value of payment entitlements to ensure compliance with the Ceilings. The discretionary provision in the Regulations to exempt any farmer, who was paid €5,000 or less in 2013, was applied in Ireland in order to protect smaller-scale farmers. The rate of reduction in Ireland on all other farmers in order that the adjusted Ceiling would be respected was 10.49%.