Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

670. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments will issue for the Green Low carbon Agri-environment Scheme, GLAS, Areas of Natural Constraint, ANC, scheme, and hen harrier scheme for 2016 to a person (details supplied). [37577/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The person named submitted a 2016 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme application on 10 May 2016. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases remote sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue.

The application of the person named was selected for a remote sensing eligibility inspection. This inspection has been processed and the person named was notified of the findings on 23 November 2016.  The notification issued outlines the options available at this stage, namely to accept the findings or to submit comments to my Department for consideration.  On completion of this process, any payments due will issue to the nominated bank account of the person named as soon as possible.

My Department is currently in the process of recruiting a Project team for the administration of an European Innovation Partnership Locally Led Scheme for the Conservation of the Hen Harrier.  This scheme will offer a novel and complementary approach to the action-based approach which has been adopted for the broader GLAS scheme. Once this team is in place the Scheme will be opened to famers that have hen harrier designated land in any of the six Special Protection Areas that will be covered under the Scheme.

 The person named has also been approved under Tranche 1 of GLAS with a contract start date of 1 October 2015 and full payment has issued in respect of the 2015 Scheme year. Payment in respect of the 2016 scheme year is currently being processed and once the prepayment validations have been successfully completed, the first instalment due will issue to the person named.