When the implementing regulations underpinning the single payment scheme were being negotiated, my Department was instrumental in ensuring that provision was made for farmers fully to utilise their entitlements and benefit from the full single payment. The provisions catered for farmers, who in certain specified circumstances declared a number of hectares for the purposes of the single payment scheme, which was less than the number of entitlements granted to them. The circumstances involved covered a reduction in the number of hectares farmed due to the afforestation of lands, lands sold under a compulsory purchase order, or lands lost due to the expiry of a lease or rental agreement.
Following the inclusion of these provisions in article 42.5 of Council Regulation, EC, No. 1782/2003 and article 7 of Commission Regulation, EC, No. 795/2004, as amended, my Department introduced a programme for the consolidation of entitlements in certain specified circumstances. Approximately 12,800 applications to consolidate entitlements were submitted by farmers under this programme. To date, in excess of 97% of these applications have been fully processed. Any problems identified during the processing of these applications are communicated to the applicant and each case is further processed immediately on receipt of the applicant's reply.
It has come to light that some farmers who did not receive the full amount of the single payment granted to them, failed to avail of the programme for the consolidation of entitlements. Such farmers are being advised to write to my Department setting out the circumstances of their cases. It is intended that all such cases will be examined by my Department in the near future.