Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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218. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to set out the status of a reduction in payments to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary under the single payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3976/16]

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 declared in 2013 or 2015, whichever is lesser. The person named declared 41.72 hectares of eligible land in 2013 and, in 2015 declared 41.15 hectares therefore he has been allocated 41.15 entitlements. 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 €20,012.38 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 the value will decrease so that all farmers will reach at least 60% of the average value of entitlements by 2019. The estimated average value of entitlements in 2019 is €174. As the value of entitlements for the person named is above the estimated national average value of entitlements he is subject to a reduction in the value of his entitlements under the internal convergence process. In 2015 the person named has established 41.15 entitlements with an estimated unit value of €311.08. This gives a total entitlement value including the greening payment of €18,451.58.

Payment of €12,951.40 including Basic Payment and Greening issued to the person named on the 19 October 2015 and second instalment payment of €4,794.41, issued on 1 December 20 15. The remaining 3% balancing payment will issue in April 2016.