Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers with stacked entitlements for single payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14654/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The total number of farmers who availed of the Consolidation measure under the Single Payment Scheme from 2005 to 2012 is 24,589.

Consolidation (stacking) of entitlements means that in certain circumstances a farmer may give up to the National Reserve his/her own existing entitlements. The farmer is then re-allocated a lower number of entitlements with a higher net unit value. The overall level of payment remains the same.

The reduction in the number of hectares declared must have arisen because of one or more of the following circumstances:

- The afforestation of land under the Afforestation Premium Scheme;

- The acquisition of land by a Public Authority for non-agricultural purposes;

- The expiry of a lease or rental agreement in respect of land that was leased or rented in during the reference period 2000 – 2002.