Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the value of inactivated single farm payment entitlements which are to be returned to the national reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27066/07]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The regulations governing the single payment scheme provide that farmers for whom single payment entitlements were established had to activate those entitlements in 2005 by submitting a single payment application in that year. Entitlements not activated in 2005 are surrendered to the national reserve. Additionally, having activated their entitlements in 2005, farmers are required to use their single payment entitlements within three years and any entitlements not used for three years are surrendered to the national reserve. In order to use entitlements each year, farmers are required to declare one hectare of eligible land for each entitlement held. The total value of entitlements not activated in 2005 is €4.5 million.

In March 2007, my Department wrote to farmers who had not used their entitlements in 2005 or 2006 reminding them that, if they did not use them in 2007, these unused entitlements would be surrendered to the national reserve. The final figure for the value of entitlements unused for the three years will not be known until processing of the 2007 single payment scheme is completed.

My Department will again write to all farmers who hold entitlements and have not used them in either 2005, 2006 or 2007 to give them an opportunity to submit any observations they may wish to make. Any observations made can be taken into account before a final decision is taken to permanently surrender the entitlements to the national reserve. It is possible that some farmers were not in a position to use the entitlements for reasons of force majeure — exceptional circumstances — and in such cases, the entitlements in question will not be forfeited to the national reserve.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I accept the point made by the Minister of State that there may be legitimate reasons that someone could not activate them in any of the three years. After the Department goes through this subsequent process and a fund of between €4 million and €5 million, as is probable at this stage, is still left there, this money should be ring-fenced for hardship cases.

A young farmer who applied under the national reserve was given the princely sum of €6.58 per entitlement. This young farmer has spent a significant amount of money on reclamation and this is his entitlement, which is virtually worthless, particularly when indexation is taken into account. Where genuine cases of hardship and cases where people have got a raw deal exist, will the Minister consider ring-fencing those moneys to help give those people a decent single farm payment?

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under EU regulations, young farmers must be the number one priority. We can look at other situations subsequently.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I gave the example of a young farmer who receives €6.58 per entitlement. This will not encourage anyone to work full time in agriculture. Will the Minister of State examine these situations? A force majeure programme existed in the past to deal with these issues. In the case of people who have suffered a raw deal, will the Minister of State consider their cases sympathetically and ring-fence that element?

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Deputy pass on the details of that case so that we can examine it?

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I have a few of them and would be only too happy to pass them on.