Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

220. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) does not qualify for basic payment scheme entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21268/17]

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

The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 15 May 2014. 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 to confirm eligibility under the schemes.

The application of the person named was selected for a Remote Sensing inspection. Initial processing of this inspection identified a requirement to verify the eligibility of land declared by means of a field inspection. Pending the outcome of this field visit payment under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme was processed based on the area declared by the person named and issued on 9 December 2014.

The subsequent field visit, to verify the position on the ground, identified discrepancies between the area declared and the area determined resulting in an over-declaration in area of greater than 20%. Based on the terms and conditions of the scheme this resulted in no payment being due under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme. The person named was notified of the outcome of this field visit by letter issued on 7 April 2015. The person named was also notified of their right to seek a review of this decision. To date no such request has been received.

As payment had already issued under the 2014 Single Payment Scheme, my Department is required to recover any overpayment from future payments issuing to an applicant. The person named was notified of this process by letter dated 21 April 2015.

Department records show that the person named claimed 6.10 hectares in 2016 and held 6.10 Basic Payment Scheme entitlements.