Mary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 556: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the situation of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath. [28500/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for consideration of an allocation of entitlements under the New Entrant category of the 2009 National Reserve. This category catered for farmers who commenced farming after the 15 May 2007. A New Entrant is also 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.

An official from my Department was in contact with the person named with a view to establishing eligibility. It has been established that the person named was a registered herd-owner since 1999. In the circumstances the application was deemed unsuccessful as the person named could not be regarded as a new entrant to farming after 15 May 2007.

The person named was notified of decision in June 2009 and given the opportunity to appeal this decision to the Independent Single Payment Appeals Committee. To date there is no record of an appeal having been submitted.

An official from my Department will now make further contact with the person named with a view to establishing if she meets the conditions for eligibility under Category A of the 2009 National Reserve which catered for farmers who acquired land free of charge from a farmer who retired or died before 16 May 2005 where the land in question was leased out to a third party during the reference period.