Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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697. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) was declined a lease on another person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21119/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The persons named submitted a Private Contract Clause application to my Department seeking the transfer of land and entitlements by lease, with the first person named as Lessee and the second person named as Lessor. Under the Terms and Conditions governing the Transfer of Basic Payment Scheme Entitlements by way of Private Contract Clause, the lessor must have established an Allocation Right into the Basic Payment Scheme in 2013. My Department has accepted a 2013 Single Payment Scheme application from the lessor in this case in order to establish his Allocation Right. However, the lessor must also meet the definition of an ‘active farmer’ in 2015 and must submit a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application on which he/she declares at least one hectare of eligible land. The lessor in this case did not submit a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application. On this basis the Private Contract Clause application cannot be processed. If the lessor considers that the reason for non-submission of a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application was due toforce majeurecircumstances, he may now submit an application to my Department for consideration, on which he declares at least one hectare of eligible land. He must also provide verifiable evidence regarding the force majeure circumstances that were applicable to his case in 2015.