Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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140. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the results of an inspection carried out in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the effect the over-claim has on this person's single payment scheme, in monetary value, on future payments that will be due under the 2015 basic payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29453/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The number of entitlements to be allocated to any one farmer under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 is based on the number of eligible hectares the farmer declared in 2013 or 2015, whichever is lesser. The value of those entitlements is based on the total value of entitlements owned by the farmer in 2014 plus the value of any payment received under the Grassland Sheep Scheme in that year.

The person named claimed 16.8 hectares of land in 2013. Upon inspection the eligible area of land was found to be 8.83 hectares and a penalty was imposed. If he declares the same number of eligible hectares in 2015, he will be allocated 8.83 entitlements in 2015. The imposition of the penalty in that year has no impact on the person’s eligibility to participate in the Basic Payment Scheme.

In 2014 the person named owned entitlements with a total value of €6,630.98. A percentage of this value is carried forward and is used to calculate the value of his entitlements in 2015 while the balance is accounted for by the Greening payment. A further penalty was imposed in 2014 but this penalty has no impact on the value of entitlements to be allocated in 2015.

As the person’s estimated Initial Unit Value in 2015 is over the national average value, he experiences a reduction in the value of his entitlements over the five years of the Scheme due to the process of convergence.