Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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291. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason funding is being deducted as a penalty for non-compliance with GLAS rules from a farmer (details supplied) who has an active appeal awaiting an oral hearing; the total amount of the proposed penalty; the amount recouped to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26170/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The person named was approved into GLAS 1 with a contract commencement date of 1 October 2015 and received payments for scheme years 2015-2017.

One of the actions chosen by the person named was Rare Breeds and this action gained him priority access to GLAS under Tier 1. The Rare Breeds action was subsequently rejected due to non-compliance with scheme requirements. As this was the applicant’s only Tier 1 action, under the terms and conditions of the scheme, it resulted in a rejection of the entire GLAS contact and recoupment of all GLAS monies received to date.

In this case, the total amount paid for GLAS was €10,941.18 of which €3,749.59 has been recouped. In general, the recovery of a debt is not paused during the appeals process.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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292. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is willing to defer the oral hearing in an appeal case (details supplied) relating to the failure in one year to register with the CPBS in order to allow the society an opportunity to amend its rules to allow for paying late memberships outstanding to the society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26171/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to inform the Deputy that the Agriculture Appeals Office operates independently of my Department.

I have been advised, however, that the records of the Agriculture Appeals Office indicate that a GLAS appeal has been received from the person named.

I am also advised that the Agriculture Appeals Office has recently been in contact with the person named and has agreed to defer the oral hearing on this appeal.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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293. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers that have had a penalty applied to their GLAS scheme payments for failure to comply under the rare breeds measure with the requirement to register each year with a society (details supplied); if a 100% penalty was applied in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26172/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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While my Department do not hold the specific information being requested, the scheme specifications state that applicants who select the Rare Breeds action must be a member of an approved breed society or studbook for the duration of the GLAS contract.

Where this condition is not satisfied, the action is rejected and a claw back of payments in respect of the action will be due. If there is no other priority action on the application, the entire application will be rejected and all GLAS payments will be recouped.