David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food further to Parliamentary Question No. 384 of 22 November 2006, the situation in respect of the person (details supplied) in County Cork; the number of entitlements under the 2005 single payment scheme national reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40999/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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As indicated in my earlier reply to Parliamentary Question No. 384 of 22 November 2006, the person named was deemed successful under Category A of the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve. 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.

Successful applicants under Category A of the National Reserve are allocated a number of payment entitlements representing the number of hectares of land acquired which were leased out by the original owner to a 3rd party during the reference period. The land in question must also have been declared by the applicant on the 2005 Single Payment application form and be free of entitlements. The person named inherited a total of 47.86 hectares of land from three different people. Initial examination of her application indicated that all 47.86 hectares had been leased out by the original owners to third parties during the reference period and the person named was notified to this effect on 14th April 2006.

However, subsequent examination of the file revealed that one of the three parcels of land had in fact been inherited by the person named prior to the reference years and appears to have been leased out directly by the person named. Therefore, such lands do not qualify for an allocation from the National Reserve. It was also noted that the remaining inherited land was not leased out to a third party during all of the reference period. Therefore, allocation was based on a pro rata basis amounting to an allocation of 20.32 entitlements.

A formal letter, dated 20th November 2006, outlines my Department's revised decision on the National Reserve application from the person named. The person named may wish to contact the National Reserve Section of my Department directly to discuss the allocation. The person named also has the opportunity to appeal the decision to the Independent Appeals Committee setting out the facts and contentions on which she relies in support of her appeal. An appeals application form is available from any of my Department's offices or on the Department's website at www.agriculture.gov.ie.