Written answers

Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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255. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will take Article 4.1.H of Pillar 1 legislation into consideration, which allows for local conditions and so on to be taken into consideration where grasses and herbaceous forage are not predominant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14105/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the provisions of the Basic Payment Scheme, farmers need to declare an eligible hectare for each payment entitlement held in order to benefit from payment. The hectares declared must be eligible and must have an agricultural activity carried out on them. The situation in Ireland has not changed since the Single Payment Scheme was replaced by the Basic Payment Scheme at the beginning of 2015. Eligible lands include those lands with herbaceous grasses and other grazable vegetation. In Ireland, the main type of vegetation other than grasses is heather and this continues to be eligible for payment where it is grazable.

I am, however, pursuing options that may assist farmers, who have marginal lands, in particular those that have designated land, in meeting the requirements of the Direct Payment regulations. My Department officials are in direct contact with the EU Commission with the intention of pursuing all possible options and bringing the matter to an early conclusion.

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