Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2013
562. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will have their entitlements reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25345/13]
View answerUnder the Single Payment Scheme the person named established 33.40 standard entitlements with a total value of €787.57. The EU Regulations governing this scheme stated that each farmer was required in the first instance to activate their entitlements by submitting a 2005 Single Payment Scheme application. Once the entitlements were activated the entitlements had to be used at least once in any one of the three year period 2005, 2006 and 2007. ‘Used’ in this context means that in any one these years one hectare of eligible land must have been declared in respect of each entitlement held. The Regulations further provided that any entitlements that remain unused over the three year period must revert to the National Reserve and are thereby lost to the farmer.
The person named submitted a Single Payment Application in 2005 and successfully activated his entitlements however did not declare any land on this application therefore the entitlements were unused in 2005. No Single Payment application was submitted in 2006 or 2007 therefore the person named did not declare any hectares and as a result of non usage these entitlements expired and were reverted to the National Reserve.
A letter issued to the person named informing him of this decision on the 16 May 2008 and advised him of his right to seek a review. A letter of appeal was submitted on the 14 May 2013, but as the appeal did not disclose any Force Majeure circumstances and taking into account the passage of time the appeal was refused and a letter issued to the person named informing him of the Department’s decision.
