As indicated in my earlier reply to the Deputy the person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Category B. Category B caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, 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 can include purchase or long term lease of land, purchase of suckler and/or ewe quota or other investments.
The person named was not considered eligible under the National Reserve as the investments did not commence prior to 19 October, 2003 and a letter setting out my Department's decision has issued to the person named. Subsequently the person named submitted an appeal against this decision. In all such cases, the procedure is that all contentions put forward in support of an appeal, if any, are first of all reviewed within my Department to see whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant any change to the original decision. In this case the documentation was examined by my Department but it did not provide grounds for a change to the original decision. This case was then forwarded to the Independent Single Payments Appeals Committee. On completion of their review the Independent Single Payment Appeals Committee will correspond directly with the person named.