Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 567: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding an appeal lodged in 2005 in respect of the EU single payment for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [14646/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for consideration of her circumstances under the force majeure-exceptional circumstances measure of the single payment scheme. This application and subsequent appeal were both deemed unsuccessful as the medical evidence furnished related to circumstances that commenced in the mid-1990's and were not considered to have resulted in a drop in production in terms of the premia and arable aid schemes during the reference years. However, it was noted that she had sold her milk quota into re-structuring and purchased suckler cow quota and as such she was advised to submit an application for consideration of her circumstances under the national reserve measure of the single payment scheme.

The person named subsequently applied to the single payment scheme national reserve 2005 under categories B and C. Category B caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, made an investment in production capacity in 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. The person named applied to be considered under section (ii) of category B on the basis that she purchased suckler cow quota rights in one or more of the scheme years 2001, 2002, or 2003.

Category C 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.

It should be noted that the rules governing the single payment scheme stipulate that an applicant who is found to be eligible under more than one category in the reserve may only receive an allocation of entitlements under whichever category is most beneficial.

Formal letters setting out my Department's decision have issued to the person named. However, should she be dissatisfied with my Department's decision she will be given the opportunity to appeal this decision to the Independent Payment Appeals Committee, Government Buildings, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, County Laois.