Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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205. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the reduction in payments for a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6594/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The establishment of entitlements for the Single Payment Scheme 2005 to 2014 was based on production during the reference period of 2000, 2001 and 2002. The person named took over the Herd Number from the previous owner on 22^ndJuly, 2004. He also inherited 15.59 entitlements with a value of €3,650.55 that was established in the account of the previous owner. Since the introduction of the Single payment scheme direct payments have been decoupled from production. The option for farmers to have their 2000-2002 reference period data reviewed was available to farmers from 2005 to 2008. Under EU Regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme these entitlements became definitively established with effect from 1 January, 2009 and it is therefore no longer possible to carry out a review of these entitlements.

The establishment of entitlements for the Basic Payment Scheme is based on the reference period of 2013, 2014 and 2015. The numberof 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 23.84 hectares of eligible land in 2013 and in 2015 declared 24.84, therefore he will be allocated 23.84 entitlements.

The 2015 valueof 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. Under the 2014 Scheme year, the person named held an entitlement value of €4,417.43.

In 2015 the person named has established 23.84 entitlements with a total value including greening of €4,257.30. As this unit value is below the National Average, his entitlements will be subject to gradual increase from €4,257.30 in 2015 to €4,619.89 in 2019.

The person named received payment of €4,123.90 which represents 97% of his total payment. The balancing payment will issue early May when all outstanding cases are processed.