Preparations are under way within DAERA to conduct checks on 2017 Basic Payment Scheme applicants suspected of not meeting active farmer requirements.

A question-and-answers booklet, for anyone who receives a letter from DAERA stating that further evidence is required, was published on the department’s website this week. “The cases which are a particular focus of attention are those where an applicant has declared grass but has no livestock or very low livestock numbers or where arable land may have been rented out in previous years,” the booklet reads.

A department spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal this week that letters have not be sent out to applicants as yet.

However, the department is keen to continue to reinforce the point that Basic Payment entitlements can still only be claimed by the person actively farming the land in 2017, and not just the first year of the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015.

Decision-making power

A common scenario is where a landowner sells grass to a farmer and claims the Basic Payment on the land. If the landowner is contacted by the department, officials will want evidence that they have the decision-making power, and take the benefits and financial risks from the agricultural activity. This will include receipts, bank statements and financial accounts.

“The outcome of your application will depend on the evidence you provide and the subsequent DAERA assessment,” the question and answers booklet reads.