Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 591: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of farmers in each of the Munster, Ulster and Connacht counties who have ceased production since the introduction of the single farm payment. [29156/08]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 592: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of farmers who have ceased production since the introduction of the single farm payment. [29157/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 and 592 together.

The Single Payment Scheme was introduced as a fully decoupled scheme on 1 January 2005. Farmers were allocated Single Payment entitlements based on the average of their receipts under the various Premia schemes during the three years 2000, 2001 and 2002. Provision was made under the Single Payment Scheme for the transfer by way of sale, or lease, of Single Payment entitlements, subject to certain criteria. A total of 128,742 farmers were paid under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme, 125,863 under the 2006 Scheme and 124,730 under the 2007 Scheme. There are still some outstanding cases in respect of the 2007 Scheme where my Department is awaiting the receipt of outstanding documentation, including legal documentation.

However, there are many farmers who do not claim the Single Payment but submit an SPS application form each year and declare land. The forms are submitted by farmers for the purposes of claiming the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and/or REPS or for compliance with other area based Schemes. The number of applications forms with land declared in the three years in question is as follows:

135,550;

134,053;

133,187.

I am arranging for my Department to send county details directly to the Deputy.