Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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106. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department deals with the area aid and single farm payments to farmers who transfer land from their holding to local authorities for the common good relating to road works, flood alleviation and so on as the transfer pertains to regional and local roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36258/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In order to receive full payment under the Single Payment Scheme an eligible hectare must be declared for each entitlement held by the farmer as set out in Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009. Consolidation of Entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme was also introduced in 2005 under this regulation. 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.

Farmers who satisfy certain conditions are eligible to apply to have their entitlements consolidated. The reduction in the number of hectares must have arisen due to certain circumstances, including the acquisition of land by a public authority under a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for non-agriculture purposes.

Application for consolidation of entitlements as a result of hectares lost as outlined above could only be considered if these hectares were used to establish entitlements during the reference period 2000 to 2002. Consolidation of entitlements has been available each year since 2005.