Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason for the delay in issuing the single farm payment to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim. [45457/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted a 2008 Single Payment application on 02/05/2008, declaring 31.82 hectares of forage lands. As a new entrant to farming the person named did not have entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme but also applied to the National Reserve for an allocation of entitlements.

During the processing of the Single Payment application a Dual Claim arose on parcel L12923020. In accordance with the regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme my Department wrote to both claimants, requesting that they submit documentary evidence, such as a Land Registry Folio to support their claims on these lands. The documentation supplied to date by the person named does not support their claim to the disputed lands, and their Single Farm Payment application has now been processed to reflect this.

As outlined in a previous reply to the Deputy the person named submitted an application under Category B of the 2008 National Reserve. This category caters for new entrants to farming after 31 December 2005. A New Entrant is defined as a farmer who did not, pursue any agricultural activity in his/her own name or at his/her own risk in the five years immediately preceding the commencement of the new agricultural activity. A new entrant must also comply with all the other educational and income criteria in order to be deemed eligible for entitlements from the National Reserve.

Two letters requesting additional information were sent to the person named on 15 October 2008 and on 4 November 2008. The required information was received on 4 November 2008 and the person named was deemed eligible under the National Reserve. However it was not possible to apply the National Reserve allocation due to the above-mentioned issues with regard to a Dual Claim. The issue surrounding the Dual Claim has now been resolved and the appropriate National Reserve allocation has been made. A formal letter outlining the National Reserve allocation has issued to the person named and payment due will issue shortly.