Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named did not establish any Single Payment entitlements during the reference period 2000-2002. In 2005 she applied to transfer 10.48 standard entitlements by way of lease for a period of one year from another farmer and received Single Payment on foot of these entitlements. Upon expiry of the lease on 31 December 2005, the entitlements reverted from the person named to the farmer from whom they were transferred. No application was received requesting a further transfer of these entitlements for the Scheme year 2006. As a result there were no entitlements available to the person named for the 2006 scheme year and no Single Payment was due.

An application was received from the person named on the 4th April 2007 requesting a transfer of 10.48 entitlements from the Representatives of the farmer from whom she had originally leased the entitlements in 2005. Correspondence issued on the 15th May 2007 to the person named and to the Representatives of the farmer advising that it is not permitted to lease entitlements from a deceased person. The rightful beneficiary must first inherit the entitlements in question and may then subsequently apply to lease them to a third party. No reply to this correspondence was received from either the person named or from the Representatives of the deceased farmer. My Department is now in direct contact with both parties with a view to resolving this matter.