Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 464: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford lost entitlements for 2002 under the single farm payment; if measures will be taken to alter this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4963/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The single payment scheme is applicable to farmers who actively farmed during all or any of the three reference years 2000 to 2002, inclusive, and who received either received livestock premia or arable aid payments or a combination of the two in one or more of those years. The gross single payment is based on either the average number of animals or the average number of hectares in the case of arable aid or a combination of the two on which payments were made in the three reference years.

Under the livestock premia schemes, applicants were entitled to payment subject to a stocking density limit. In 2002, this limit was set at 1.9 livestock units per hectare. Under the 2002 area aid scheme, the person named declared 24.15 hectares of forage, which entitled him to payments on 45.88 livestock units. Under the 2002 special beef premium scheme, the person named applied on 41 animals, equivalent to 24.60 livestock units, each animal being deemed to represent 0.6 livestock units. Under the 2002 suckler cow premium scheme, the person named applied on five animals, equivalent to 4.20 livestock units, of three animals at 1.0 livestock units and two animals at 0.6 livestock units and, under the 2002 ewe premium scheme, the person named applied on 206, equivalent to 30.90 livestock units, each being deemed to represent 0.15 livestock unit. Therefore, as the total livestock unit value of the animals applied on, 59.70 livestock units, was in excess of the stocking density limit, 45.88 livestock units, the payments were accordingly restricted. The statement of entitlements provided to the person named reflects the payments made during the reference period.