Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1228. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a matter regarding farm payments in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1679/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The person named submitted a 2017 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Schemes application on 2 May 2017. 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 now been processed and a minor over-declaration in area has been identified. The person named is being notified of the inspection findings today, 16th January 2018, and of the options available to them namely to accept the findings or to submit comments to the Remote Sensing Section of my Department for examination. On completion of this process, any payments due will issue to the nominated bank account of the person named.

In relation to the over-claim identified on the forestry land, which is only part of the land declared on the 2017 BPS application, this was determined during the remote sensing inspection process. The person named was notified, by the Forest Service of my Department, of both the specific area of the over-claim and the amount due to be recovered on 11th December 2017. The person named was also advised of their right to seek a review of this decision within 21 days of the date of that letter. 

The delay between the notification of the outcome of the remote sensing inspection and the notification of the over-declaration on the forestry land is as a result of outstanding issues on other land declared which were required to be resolved in order to finalise the inspection.