Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
Grant Payments
567. Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when
payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary under the single farm
payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7886/12]
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney): An application
under the 2011 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 10 May 2011.
The processing on this application was recently finalised and payment issued directly to the
nominated bank account of the applicant on 2 February 2012.
568. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
the position regarding REP scheme payments in respect of persons (details supplied) in County
Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7893/12]
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney): The person named
commend REPS in September 2008 and received payments for the first three years of their
contract.
REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is
subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to
be completed before any payments can issue. These checks have now been completed and the
year 4 payment will shortly issue to the person named.
569. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine
the options open to a person (details supplied) who inadvertently did not comply with entitlement
regulations by giving up land they had rented, brought the amount of their entitlements
under the 50% figure for the reference year and it appears that this will result in a substantial
drop in their income for 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7895/12]
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Deputy Simon Coveney): In the 2005 Scheme
year the person named submitted an application under the Inheritance measure of the Single
Payment Scheme to inherit the entitlements established by his late wife. Following a successful
Force Majeure application, these 69.06 entitlements had a gross unit value of €244.42 each
giving a total value of €16,879.65 and were established utilising the alternative reference period
1997-1999.
The person named also submitted an application under the Consolidation measure of the
2005 Single Payment Scheme as he only inherited 49.73ha. This application was unnecessary as
Under EU Regulations, the total Single Payment amount will, on transfer by way of inheritance,
be divided by the number of hectares inherited. This resulted in the person named receiving
49.73 entitlements at a gross unit value of €339.43 each giving a total value of €16,879.65.
The person named submitted an application under the Consolidation measure of the 2011
Single Payment on 13 May 2011. The rules governing Consolidation require that an applicant
must retain a number of hectares at least equal to 50% the original number of entitlements
established — in this case 69.06ha. The land declared by the person named on the 2011 Single
Payment application was 26.60 hectares which is less than 50% of the 69.06 entitlements originally
granted. The application for Consolidation was therefore rejected.
The person named has recently submitted an application to appeal this decision to the Agriculture
Appeals Office. A formal letter setting out their decision will issue to the person named
within the coming weeks.
595