Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 447: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary under the national reserve for 2008 and 2009; and when payment will be awarded. [24555/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department has no record of having received a National Reserve application from the person named under the 2008 or 2009 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 448: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary under the national reserve for 2008 to 2009; and when payment will be awarded. [24556/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements under Category B of the 2008 National Reserve. This category caters for new entrants to farming who commenced farming after 31 December 2005. In addition applicants are required to fulfil certain criteria relating to on and off-farm income limits and educational qualifications. The person named did not submit sufficient information in order to fully process his application. My Department wrote to him requesting the outstanding documentation and when this is received my Department will be in a position to further process his application.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 449: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24654/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under EU rules payments in respect of REPS 4 are to be made in two instalments. The first instalment consists of 75% of the total payment due for the year and is paid to individual applicants once all administrative checks on all plans have been completed. The person named has received the first instalment of his payment and my officials expect to release the remaining 25% shortly.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 450: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason a number of applicants involved in the dispute over commonage land at Glenahiry, Clonmel, County Waterford were awarded their single payment applications while others were not; the attempts he has made to have this matter resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24678/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In 2005, Ireland adopted a fully decoupled area based scheme, the Single Payment Scheme, which was based on the average monetary value of all subsidies paid to farmers during the reference period years (2000, 2001 & 2002) divided by the average number of hectares held during these years. Under EU Regulations governing the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme, an applicant must declare an eligible hectare for each Single Payment entitlement held in order to benefit from the full Single Payment. This requirement was set out clearly in documentation provided to farmers each year since the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme in 2005.

In relation to commonage lands at Glenary, there is an 'over-claim' involving various parties and the overall area of land claimed exceeds the area of land on the Commonage. In such circumstances the Department is obliged under EU legislation to establish who are the applicants with rights to claim the Single Payment Scheme.Payments in respect of Glenary and to ensure that each of the eligible applicants has an eligible hectare of land per entitlement claimed. Such 'over-claims' have been common throughout Ireland in relation to commonages since the introduction of area based payments.

There have been many other disputes relating to commonages around the country and the vast majority of these have been resolved through a combination of involvement by this Department and the required flexibility from the parties involved. A similar approach was adopted in relation to Glenary as has been successful in resolving the vast majority of such disputes.

In anticipation of moving to this scheme, and having regard to the title/claims on this mountain, a public meeting was called to attempt to resolve the position in relation to Glenary. This was done at the behest of and in co-operation with all parties and a meeting was held in Clonmel, attended by all parties. Unfortunately, my Department's efforts at that meeting and subsequently have not yielded an agreement under which payments can issue.

My Department remains committed to resolving this matter in the same way as has proved successful in relation to other commonages throughout the Country. I can confirm that parties who have requested in writing to be paid on their other land (while withdrawing without prejudice their claim to the unregistered portion of Glenary Commonage from their applications) have been paid on such areas only, pending a resolution of the overall dispute in relation to the Commonage. Some applicants have been able to prove their right to claim a small portion of the Commonage and have been paid accordingly.