The person named submitted an application under the 2005 National Reserve under Category B and the Hill Farmers' Scheme.
Category B catered for farmers who made an investment in production capacity in a farming sector for which a direct payment under Livestock Premia and/or Arable Aid schemes would have been payable during the reference period 2000-2002. Investments included the purchase or long-term lease of land, purchase of suckler and/or ewe quota or other investments. The application submitted by the person named under this category was in respect of the purchase of lands. Under the terms and conditions for this category the lands had to have been purchased between the 1 January 2000 and 13 October 2003.
The person named submitted details indicating the lands that he was applying on was registered in his name on the 19 August 1999 and as this was prior to the 1 January 2000 he was not eligible under this category. The person named subsequently appealed this decision to the Single Payment Appeals Committee who upheld the Department's decision.
The Hill Farmers Scheme catered for farmers with commonage land who were prevented from expanding their sheep production during the 2000-2002 reference period pending publication of the Commonage Framework Plans in 2003. The farmers concerned must have had a stocking density of less than 3 livestock units per hectare in 2001 and their Single Payment must have been less than €6,000.
The Department's records indicate that the person named did not establish a stocking density in 2001 and did not expand into sheep production following the publication of the Commonage Framework plans in 2003. Therefore he was deemed ineligible under the Hill Farmers' Scheme. Officials from my Department will now liaise directly with the person named to establish if there are particular circumstances that may allow for a review of his case.