Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 April 2004
248 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on the loss of quota by a person (details supplied) in County Offaly in the farm retirement scheme in light of the fact that one of the reasons they joined the early retirement scheme was to protect their quotas for their child who is studying agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11819/04]
View answerUnder the European Council regulation introducing the single payment scheme, a farmer may have access to the scheme if he or she was an active farmer during the reference years of 2000, 2001 and 2002 and if he or she received payments under the livestock premia and/or arable aid schemes. In addition, farmers for whom entitlements will be established must activate the entitlements in 2005 by continuing to farm and by submitting an area aid declaration in that year. In general, farmers must also have an eligible hectare of land for each payment entitlement.
The person referred to in the question joined the scheme of early retirement from farming in September 1999. Farmers in her situation, who had leased their holdings during the entire reference period and were not farming, will not have any entitlements established for them under the single payment scheme. Persons who were leasing their lands and were active farmers in the reference period will have entitlements established for them. It should be noted that entitlements are attached to the farmer who was actively farming during the reference period and are not attached to the land.
During the Council negotiations last year I secured agreement that farmers, including the offspring of farmers who retired before the reference period, who take over the holding that was leased out during the reference period at some date in the future will be able to apply to the national reserve for payment entitlements under the single payment scheme.
