Beverley Flynn (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the way the single farm payment entitlements were calculated in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [22274/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Single Payment Scheme is applicable to farmers who actively farmed during the reference years 2000, 2001 and 2002, who were paid Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid in one or more of those years and who continued to farm in 2005. The gross Single Payment is based on the average number of animals and/or the average number of hectares (in the case of Arable Aid) on which payments were made in the three reference years. The number of entitlements is based on the average number of hectares farmed during the reference period. The person named established 11.81 Single Payment entitlements with a unit value of €17.42 giving an overall Single Payment of €205.73. This figure therefore reflected the farming activity and the average draw-down of premia payments for the person named during the reference period.

In scheme year 2005, the person named also received, through inheritance, 3.22 additional entitlements with a unit value of €106.11 or total of €341.66. The person named then had 15.03 Single Payment entitlements with a unit value of €36.42 giving an overall Single Payment worth €547.39. The person named submitted an application to the 2005 National Reserve under the Hill Farmers Scheme. This scheme catered for farmers with commonage land who were prevented from expanding their sheep production during the 2000 – 2002 reference period pending publication of the Commonage Framework Plans in 2003.

The applicants concerned had to have a stocking density of less than 3 livestock units per hectare in 2001 and their existing Single Payment must have been less than €6,000. Successful applicants had their individual Single Payment entitlements increased to either the DED average value of entitlements or €1,000 whichever was the lesser. The person named was deemed successful under this category and received a total allocation of €454.35. His individual entitlements were increased in value to the average value of entitlements in the DED less a 3% contribution as required under EU regulations to cover the cost of the National Reserve and the cost of catering for new entrants/force majeure during the reference period.

In 2007 the person named also applied to the National Reserve under Category C. This category catered for farmers for whom at least 40% of their Single Payment was derived from direct payments associated with sheep production (Ewe Premium/Rural Word Premium) during the reference period. Their existing Single Payment must have been less than €10,000 and the value of individual payment entitlements must have been less than the District Electoral Division (DED) average value. The maximum allocation under this category was €1,000.00. The person was successful under this category and the value of his individual entitlements were increased from €66.64 to €67.77, which is the DED average value. The person concerned now holds 15.03 entitlements worth €67.77 each. The overall value of the Single Payment entitlements for person named is therefore €1,018.58.

The person named submitted an application under Category A of the 2009 National Reserve. This category catered for farmers who inherited, leased or otherwise received a holding free of charge or for a nominal consideration (not greater than €100 per hectare), where that holding was leased to a third party during the reference period (2000–2002). The farmer from whom the holding was obtained must have retired or died before 16th May 2005. The person named was deemed ineligible under this category, as the lands inherited were not leased out to a third party during the reference years.