Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

85. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why the payment to a person (details supplied) under the basic payment scheme 2016 was €1,200 less than the payment to the person under the single payment scheme 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3356/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 declared in 2013 or 2015, whichever is lesser.

The person named declared 32.48 hectares of eligible land in 2013 and in 2015 declared 32.44 hectares, therefore he has been allocated 32.44 entitlements in respect of 2015.

The 2015 value of entitlements is based on a fixed percentage of 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 had an entitlement value of €8,956.22 in 2014.

Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme all entitlements are subject to the process of internal convergence whereby the value of entitlements for some farmers will increase over the period 2015-2019 while for others with a unit value above the national average will see a gradual reduction of the portion of the entitlement in excess of the national average.

In 2015 the person named has established 32.44 entitlements with a unit value of €181.05. As this unit value for the person named is above the National Average, his entitlements will be subject to a gradual reduction from 2015 to 2019. For 2015, the total value of his Basic Payment Scheme entitlements and greening is €8,467.22.

Payment of €5,767.34 including Basic Payment and Greening issued to the person named on the 19 October 2015 and the second instalment payment of €2,148.49, issued on the 1 of December 2015. The remaining 3% balancing payment will issue in April 2016.

An official from my Department will contact the Deputy directly to clarify the position in this case.