Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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825. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why a person (details supplied) had a reduction in payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13514/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) was received from the person named on 20 April 2015. Advance and balancing payments issued on 19 October and 1 December respectively. However, no payment under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme issued in 2015 as the person named did not apply for the scheme.

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 €4,662.12 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 unit value of entitlements by 2019. The national average unit value of entitlements in 2019 is €184.34. As the unit value of entitlements for the person named is €193.41 and is above the national average value of entitlements he is subject to a slight decrease in the value of his entitlements under the internal convergence process.

In 2015 the person named has established 15.86 entitlements giving a total payment including greening of €4,402.27. To date 97% payment has issued to the person and the 3% balancing payment will issue in June 2016.