Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named applied for consideration of force majeure/exceptional circumstances on 5 February 2004.

Following examination of the exceptional circumstances outlined, my Department decided that the reference years 2000, 2001 and 2002 will be excluded from the calculation of the single payment entitlements for the person named and the entitlements will be based on the reference years 1997, 1998 and 1999. A statement of provisional entitlements reflecting this position issued to the person named on 1 February 2005.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The sheep flock belonging to the flock owner in question was depopulated as a result of scrapie prior to Christmas 2001. He has been paid compensation on the basis of an agreement reached with my Department. The terms of the agreement and the amount of compensation and income loss involved were clearly understood and accepted by all concerned at the time of depopulation.

Flock owners depopulated under this first phase depopulation arrangements were not allowed to restock for a period of two years. They received compensation for the capital value of the sheep and for income loss for that period. In addition, those who restocked in the third year, including the person named, also received compensation for income loss for that year.

The amounts paid to these producers for the capital value of the animals and for income loss for the period of three years were generous having regard to all the circumstances involved. I do not consider that payment of any additional amounts by way of restocking grants is justified in these cases.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named received the following payments under the cattle headage scheme for the years 1997-2000:

The person named received the following payments under the sheep headage scheme for the years 1997-2000:

The area based compensatory allowance scheme replaced the cattle-sheep headage schemes in 2001 and the person named received the following payments under the scheme for the years 2001-02:

The payments awarded to the person named under the special beef premium scheme for the years 1997-2002 are:

The payments awarded to the person named under the suckler cow premium scheme for the years 1997-2002 are:

The payments awarded to the person named under the extensification premium scheme for the years 1997-2002 are:

The payments awarded to the person named under the slaughter premium scheme for the years 1997-2002 are:

The payments awarded to the person named under the ewe premium scheme for the years 1997-2002 are as follows:

The only grounds for calculating the single farm payment using the reference period 1997-99 are where force majeure/exceptional circumstances are accepted as having caused a sudden, unforeseen breakdown in production, beyond the control of the producer, and affecting the entire reference period 2000-02.

The person named submitted an application for consideration of force majeure/exceptional circumstances on 5 February 2004. Having examined the circumstances outlined and supporting documentation, the single payment unit advised the person named that his application did not satisfy the criteria laid down in Article 40 of Council Regulation EC No 1782/2003.

An opportunity to appeal this decision to the independent single payment appeals committee was offered to the person named but has not been availed of to date.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive his REP scheme payment. [5631/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The application for payment in this case was received in my Department on 10 January 2005 and is being processed in accordance with the targets set out in the protocol on direct payments to farmers.