Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named successfully applied under the New Entrant measure of the Single Payment Scheme. Subsequently, the person named applied to be considered for an allocation of entitlements under Categories A, B and C of the 2005 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.

Category B caters for farmers who 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 — 2002. Investments can include purchase or long term lease of land, purchase of suckler and/or ewe quota or other investments.

Category C caters for farmers who 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. The person named did not meet the eligibility criteria under Categories A and C but he was deemed successful under category B of the National Reserve and a formal letter to this effect issued on 24th November 2007.

The regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme stipulate that an applicant who is found to be eligible under more than one measure of the Scheme, may only receive an allocation of entitlements under whichever measure is most beneficial to him/her. The person named had already been deemed eligible under the New Entrant measure of the Single Payment Scheme. However his allocation under the National Reserve measure amounted to €2434.74, which was greater than the original allocation of €1894.66 under the New Entrant measure.

As the National Reserve measure is financially more beneficial, the New Entrant allocation is now rescinded in favour of the National Reserve. The person named was informed of this by letter dated 22 November, 2007. The extra monies now due in respect of 2005, 2006 and 2007 will issue to the person named shortly.