Michael Creed
Question:666 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be awarded the farm installation grant. [20836/07]
View answerWednesday, 26 September 2007
Questions (567, 568)
Written answers
The person concerned is an applicant under the Installation Aid Scheme and the grant payment was issued to him by my Department on 7 September 2007.
Denis Naughten
Question:667 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the value of single farm payment entitlements which have not been activated in each of the past three years; her plans for the redistribution of these entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20864/07]
View answerThe Single Payment Scheme was introduced in 2005. Under the scheme, farmers were required to lodge an application under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme in order to activate their single payment entitlements. In order to use entitlements, each farmer was required to declare one hectare of eligible land for every entitlement held. Once entitlements were activated in 2005, farmers then had to use them within three years or they would be surrendered to the National Reserve.
In March 2007, my Department wrote to farmers who had not used their entitlements in 2005 or 2006, reminding them that if they did not use them in 2007, these unused entitlements would be lost to the National Reserve. The final figure for the value of entitlements unused over the three years will not be known until the processing of the 2007 Single Payment applications is completed. This processing is ongoing. It is estimated that when entitlements that were never activated in 2005 and entitlements that were activated but not used in the three years 2005, 2006 or 2007, are taken into account, there will be approximately €5 million surrendered to the National Reserve.
Under the 2007 National Reserve there were 4 categories under which farmers could apply: Certain types of inheritance; New Entrants; Certain Sheep farmers; and Offshore island farmers. The closing date for receipt of applications under the 2007 National Reserve was 22nd June 2007. Over 9,000 applications have been received and these are now being processed.