Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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255. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department imposed penalties and exclusions on entitlements under the single payment scheme for those areas of ground where trees were felled during the storms in 2014; if his Department provided reasonable time in all cases to landowners to have storm damage cleared to avoid penalties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9920/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In order to benefit from payment under the Single Payment Scheme (now replaced by the Basic Payment Scheme) farmers must declare an eligible hectare for each payment entitlement held. The EU Regulations do, however, provide for issues that impact on the area declared, which arise and are outside of the control of the farmer. This is known asforce majeure or exceptional circumstances. These circumstances can take into account the impact of weather conditions including damage caused by storms. Where such cases arise, they are examined on their individual merits and where circumstances allow, my Departmental will applyforce majeure where non-compliances are caused by factors beyond the farmer’s control. Where temporary damage has, for example, been caused as a result of storms, the farmers involved are given the opportunity and sufficient time to undertake any remedial works necessary to rectify the non-compliance. Following the severe storms in early 2014, my Department made it clear to farmers that this was the position.

If the damage was permanent, the farmers will be impacted in the future as the new payment entitlements to be granted to farmers this year will be based on the number of hectares declared in 2013 or 2015, whichever is the lower.