Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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557. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has not been in receipt of an ANC payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21924/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme, eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of seven consecutive months and to maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year.

The Terms and Conditions of the ANC Scheme (and the predecessor schemes) set out that, under EU Regulation 21/2004, all flock owners’ and sheep keepers are obliged to count the sheep in their flock, record this number in the flock register and thereafter are legally obliged to return this number to my Department via the annual Sheep/Goat Census return. The closing date for the receipt of census returns for acceptance under the scheme was the closing date of the scheme each year.

Processing of the applications under 2014, 2015 and 2016 scheme years identified that the holding concerned had not satisfied the scheme’s minimum stocking density requirements as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.

Department records indicate no sheep census received from the person named since 2011. Accordingly, the eligibility criteria for payment have not been met.