Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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533. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will take steps to ensure that the farm entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath which were leased for a number of years up to 31 December 2013 are transferred back into the owner's name without delay; if same will be confirmed in writing to this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17977/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named leased out her entitlements for each year of the period 2007 to 2013. The most recent lease expired on 31 December 2013 at which time the entitlements were no longer available to the lessee. The entitlements have reverted to the account of the person named and a letter of notification will issue to both the person named and to the lessee shortly.

As the person named did not draw down a payment in 2013 she does not have an allocation right whereby entitlements would be allocated to her under the new Scheme in 2015. While the value of the leased entitlements is attributed to the person named as their owner, she is not in a position to carry forward their value to the new Basic Payment Scheme in 2015. My Department wrote to the person named recently outlining this situation and recommending the sale or gift of the entitlements before 15 May 2014 to a person who holds an allocation right. As the existing lease has expired, the person named is free to sell/gift the entitlements on the open market. If the entitlements in question are not transferred to a person with an allocation right, they will expire at the end of 2014 and their value will not carry forward to the new scheme.

If the person named requires clarification of any aspect of these arrangements she should make contact with the CAP Information Centre at 0761 064438 or by email to CAPdirectpayments@agriculture.gov.ie