Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is provision in the new regulations of the Common Agricultural Policy 2014 to 2020 that would preclude him from including farm forestry planted before 2008 as eligible land for single and basic farming payments; and if he will seek to include this as a priority in ongoing discussions at EU level on the next CAP post-2020. [47558/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The provisions allowing for the Basic Payment Scheme on forests established under the current afforestation scheme 2014 -2020 are set out under Article 32(2)b(ii) Regulation (EU) 1307/2013. The rules allow for basic payments to be made on forest land providing the following criteria are satisfied:

1. The land to be afforested was declared on a 2008 SPS application form;

2. The applicant who declared that land on a 2008 SPS application form was paid under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme;

3. The afforested land was eligible for payment in 2008

4. The afforested land meets all the requirements of the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme 2007 -2013.

Discussions on the CAP post 2020 proposals are underway, following their publication on 1 June 2018. As part of these discussions, I am working to ensure that the current rules regarding eligibility of existing forests and the basic payment scheme are maintained. Furthermore I have requested that new forests established under the next CAP are also eligible for this payment.

Therefore it is not my intention to seek provisions allowing for forests planted outside of the criteria set out above to be treated as eligible hectares for the Basic Payment Scheme