Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 552: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary under the single payment scheme. [22264/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An application for consideration under the force majeure-exceptional circumstances measure of the single payment regulations was submitted by the person named on 27 October 2004.

Following a full examination of the circumstances put forward, the person named was informed on 25 January 2005 that the circumstances outlined by him did not satisfy the criteria for force majeure-exceptional circumstances under article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003. While it is accepted that force majeure-exceptional circumstances did occur on the farm of the person named as a result of a BSE de-population, the single payment unit decision was based on the fact that he was not an applicant under the special beef, bull, suckler cow, ewe premium or arable aid schemes during the reference years 2000 to 2002. As such his production relative to the single payment scheme was not affected by the events outlined.

A statement of provisional entitlements issued to the person named on 12 April 2005, indicating that he has 18.73 entitlements with a total net value of €990.44. These entitlements relate to the slaughter premium scheme following de-population.

The person named also submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payment scheme national reserve under category C which caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, sold their milk quota into the milk quota restructuring scheme and converted their enterprise to a farming sector for which a direct payment under livestock premia and-or arable aid schemes would have been payable during the reference period 2000 to 2002.

In excess of 17,200 applications have been received under the national reserve at the Department's office in Castlebar and are being processed at present. In view of the number of applications received and the documentation submitted, it will be some time before a decision is reached on whether the person named is entitled to an allocation from the reserve.

He will of course be notified of his eligibility or otherwise as soon as all applications are processed.