Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the details of provisional entitlements under the single farm payment for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [3077/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for consideration of his circumstances under the force majeure measure of the single payment scheme. Following processing of this application it was considered that the new entrant/inheritance measures would be more beneficial and he was advised to apply under these measures in the notification of the decision that issued to him.

Subsequently the person submitted applications for consideration in respect of both the new entrant and Inheritance measures of the single payment scheme. Following an examination of these applications, he was informed that both the new entrant and inheritance applications were successful and that, of these, the inheritance measure, combining inherited entitlements with those earned by the person involved in his own right, was more favourable than either the force majeure or the new entrant measures. The person named then appealed this position due to the fact that using 2001 as a reference year for the establishment of entitlements in his own right disadvantaged him because he only applied for direct payments on three animals late in 2001.

My Department has re-examined the full circumstances of this case including the information submitted on appeal and have decided that 2001 may be excluded on the grounds of force majeure. The net result is that the single farm payment entitlements for the person named will be based on the two-year average of the entitlements established in his own right in 2002 and the entitlements inherited from 2000. This represents the most beneficial outcome for the person named and a statement of provisional entitlements reflecting this position will issue shortly.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 286: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding entitlement under the single payment scheme for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [3079/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Following an unsuccessful decision in respect of his new entrant application the person named submitted an appeal to the independent single payment appeals committee seeking a review of this decision. My Department, following a re-examination of the circumstances outlined including the additional information submitted with the appeal, have overturned the decision in this case. The person named has been informed that both the years 2000 and 2001 will be excluded from his single payment calculation. The notification of this amended decision, basing his entitlements on 2002 only, was issued to the person named today.

As he is leasing in land, he may, before 16 May 2005, lease in any entitlements which the lessor may have established by having an amending clause inserted in the lease agreement which stipulates that the land is being leased together with any entitlements to be established under the single payment scheme. The number of entitlements that can be leased in this manner cannot exceed the number of hectares leased. However, he may require additional land to activate his own entitlements based on 2002 only and those, which he may lease in with the land.

The position with regard to the 2005 single payment national reserve is that all applications are being processed at present and in view of the number of applications received and accompanying documentation submitted it will be some time before processing is completed. The Deputy will appreciate therefore that it is not possible to indicate at this stage whether the person named will qualify for an allocation of entitlements from the reserve on foot of an application submitted. Applicants will be notified of their eligibility or otherwise as soon as all applications are processed.