Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford was refused payment entitlements from the 2005 national reserve; the appeal system in place for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40676/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Categories A and D.

Category A caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16 May, 2005 and who had leased out his/her holding to a third party during the reference period 2000 to 2002. The person named was deemed unsuccessful under this category as she did not receive the land free of charge or for a nominal sum.

Category D caters for farmers who inherited or purchased land and who commenced farming after 31 December, 2002 or who commenced farming in 2002 but who received no direct payments in respect of that scheme year. The person named was also deemed unsuccessful under this category as the land acquired was leased land which does not qualify for this category.

A formal letter outlining my Department's decision on the National Reserve has issued to the person named. The person named submitted an appeal against this decision and provided additional documentation in support of her appeal. In all such cases, the procedure is that all contentions put forward in support of an appeal are first of all reviewed within my Department to see whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant any change to the original decision. In this case the documentation was examined by my Department but did not provide grounds for a change to the original decision. This case has since been forwarded to the Independent Single Payments Appeals Committee who will carry out a full review of the case and will correspond directly with the person named following the outcome of their review.

In the 2006 National Reserve there is provision for New Entrants to farming who have leased land. The leased/rented land must have been declared on the 2004 Area Aid application and on the 2005 and 2006 Single Payment Scheme applications.