Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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220. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [39253/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases remote rensing (Satellite) inspections be completed to confirm eligibility under the schemes.

The 2014 Single Farm Payment/ Disadvantaged Areas Scheme application of the person named was selected for a remote sensing inspection. This inspection identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area determined resulting in an over-declaration in area of greater than 50%. Based on the terms and conditions of the scheme this resulted in no payment being due under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme and the application of an administrative fine to be offset against any future EU payments. The person named was notified of this decision on 19 November 2015.

The person named sought a review of the inspection findings and a field visit was arranged to verify the eligibility of the land on the ground. This field visit, while reducing the ineligible area, resulted in an over-declaration in area of greater than 20%, which under the terms and conditions of the scheme resulted in no payment being due under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme to the person named.

The person named sought a review of this decision the outcome of which was to up-hold the inspection findings, the person named was notified of this decision on 4 May 2016 and of their right to seek a further review of the inspection decision.

In the event that the person named is dissatisfied with the outcome of any such further review the decision can be appealed to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office, within 3 months.