Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1567. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25618/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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An application under Tranche 1 of GLAS was received in my Department on the 19 May 2015 and the person named was approved as a Tier 2 participant for GLAS 1 having selected over 10 hectares of the Minimum Tillage action.

Subsequent to approval into the scheme my Department received correspondence from the Agricultural Advisor of the person named stating that the Minimum Tillage action had been incorrectly selected when submitting the GLAS application and requested that the Minimum Tillage action be withdrawn and substituted with the Low Input Permanent Pasture action.

The scheme Terms and Conditions only allow for the withdrawal of actions and all GLAS advisors were notified that no amendments could be made once the application is submitted. The withdrawal of the Minimum Tillage action negated the grounds on which approval had been granted and the application was accordingly deemed invalid.

I understand that the person named has lodged an appeal to the Agriculture Appeals Office where the matter will be further dealt with in due course.