James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Fisheries and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Offaly has been refused a Farm Consolidation Certificate on the erroneous basis that part of the land in question is bog, which is not the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18091/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Section 104 of the Finance Act 2007 amended the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 to grant stamp duty relief where a farmer sells qualifying land and purchases qualifying land in order to consolidate his or her holding. To be eligible to claim the stamp duty relief, the sale and purchase of qualifying land(s) must occur within 18 months of each other and before 30 June 2011. Land sold and purchased as part of a Farm Consolidation must comply with the following conditions: the land must be in the State; the land must be agricultural land or afforested land – it cannot include bog land; and the land must not contain residential buildings.

Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority, issues Farm Consolidation Certificates to qualifying farmers in respect of applications that comply with the conditions of farm consolidation. I understand that the application in respect of the individual concerned was refused in 2008 on the basis that one folio contains a residential dwelling and that the land sold contains an area of bog land which is also ineligible. Administration of the Farm Consolidation Certificate is an operational matter for Teagasc and accordingly the Minister has no role in resolving the issues referred to.