Written Answers. ›
Grant Payments
863 Deputy Seymour Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan can expect to receive their REP scheme payment; if sufficient personnel are available in local offices to deal with the overdue REP scheme payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1287/11]
Comment on this
REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and accordingly is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. There are sufficient staff available in all local offices to deal with the outstanding REPS applications and in this regard payments are issuing to applicants whose files have passed all of the necessary checks. Payment will issue to the person named within ten days.
Comment on this
864 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the outcome of an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [1296/11]
Comment on this
Under the provisions of the governing EU Regulations, payments under the Single Farm Payment may be made only in respect of eligible land and applicants under the Scheme are obliged annually to declare to my Department the land parcels available to them. Details of the eligible area of the land parcels are recorded on my Department's Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). It is also necessary for applicants to exclude ineligible features such as scrub, roadways, etc. Therefore, the LPIS database has to be amended on an ongoing basis to reflect any permanent changes such as parcel boundary changes, addition of new parcels, etc.
Accordingly my Department undertakes regular reviews of the ortho-photography available to confirm the area of parcels recorded in LPIS and claimed by applicants under the Single Payment Scheme. The areas declared on the 2009 Single Payment Scheme application submitted by the person named were included as part of that review.
I have had the matter investigated and I can confirm that the herd owner was found to have over-claimed on three parcels of land under this review. In order to expedite a full review of this case I have arranged for an explanatory letter and a copy of the relevant maps highlighting the areas, which appear ineligible, to be issued to the applicant.
Comment on this
865 Deputy Jimmy Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when REP scheme four payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1331/11]
Comment on this
REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and accordingly is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. Queries have arisen during the administrative checks on the plan of the person named which have required further examination. Officials in my Department are currently examining this file and will shortly be in contact with the person named.
Comment on this
866 Deputy Seymour Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will be paid the balance of the person's area aid and single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1333/11]
Comment on this
An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received from the person named on 13 May 2010. The 50% advance payment under the Single Payment Scheme, which issued on 21 October and the 75% advance payment under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme which issued on 21 September, were on the basis of those parcels cleared for payment at that stage, as a number of other land parcels listed on the application of the person named required redigitisation.
However, following digitisation, an issue was revealed regarding an over-claim in respect of one parcel. My Department has written to the person named regarding this matter. On receipt of a satisfactory reply from the person named, the application will be further processed, with a view to the further payments due issuing shortly thereafter.
Comment on this
867 Deputy Seymour Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will be paid the remainder of the person's area aid and single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1334/11]
Comment on this
An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received from the person named on 12 May 2010. The 50% advance payment under the Single Payment Scheme, which issued on 18 October, the further 30% payment under the same Scheme, which issued on 1 December, as well as the 75% advance payment under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme which issued on 30 September, were on the basis of those parcels cleared for payment at that stage, as a number of other land parcels listed on the application of the person named required re-digitisation. When this process is complete, provided no errors are identified, the application will be processed, with a view to the further payments due issuing shortly.