Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 February 2010
480 Deputy Tom Sheahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will carry out an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the moving of entitlements to the national reserve (details supplied). [9162/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe first person named was allocated 7.92 Single Payment entitlements to the value of €127.79 each in 2005. The EU Regulations governing the Single Payment scheme provide that a farmer must use his/her entitlements at least once over a three year period otherwise they are lost to the National Reserve. A farmer uses entitlements by declaring one hectare of land per entitlement per year on a Single Payment application form. The persons named did not declare any land on a Single payment application form in the years 2007, 2008 or 2009 therefore the entitlements concerned were surrendered to the National Reserve at the end of 2009. A letter of notification regarding the expired entitlements issued on 25 January 2010 and includes an option of appeal. My Department had not been notified of the extenuating circumstances involved in this case but a representative of my Department will now make contact with the second person named with a view to having the entitlements restored to her under force majeure.
