Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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266. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set down the total payment due under the Single Farm Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme for 2013 and 2014 in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the amount of payment that issued under each scheme to date; when any outstanding payments will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6749/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2013 Single Payment (SPS)/Disadvantaged Areas Schemes was received from the person named on 3 May 2013. Under the SPS Scheme, the advance payment of €802.68 was issued on 16 October 2013 with the balancing payment of €802.69 issuing on 2 December 2013. The applicant was also paid €707.63 under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme on 20 September 2013.

A review of the land parcels declared by the person named under both Schemes revealed that several of the land parcels declared by the person named contained ineligible features. The person named was informed in writing of these findings. These area reductions did not have an impact on the 2013 Single Farm Payment of the person named. However, the over-declarations resulted in an area over-declaration greater than 20% being recorded under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. Under the relevant EU Regulations, no payment is due in the year of application where the level of over-declaration is greater than 20%. Therefore, the amount involved was deducted from the SPS advance payment.

Following the review of my Department’s decision, sought by the person named, a visit by a Department official to verify the position on the ground was necessary. The outcome of this check resulted in an over-declaration in area of between 3% and 20%, which was applied to the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and a payment of €441.03 issued to the applicant on 2 December 2014, based on the reduced area. The person named was notified of this decision on 18 July 2014. The applicant was informed that in the event he was dissatisfied with the outcome of a verification check, he could appeal the decision to the independent LPIS Appeals Committee.

The findings of this verification visit were applied to the applications under the 2014 Single Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Schemes. The SPS advance payment of €802.68 issued on 16 October 2014 with the balancing payment of €802.69 issuing on 1 December 2014. A payment of €477.24 was issued to the person named on 7 October 2014 under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.