As outlined in a previous 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 C. Category C caters for farmers who sold their milk quota into the Milk Quota Restructuring Scheme and converted their enterprise to 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 to 2002.
The father of the person named sold his milk quota in April 2004 and ceased farming. He leased his farm and any associated Single Payment entitlements to the person named in March 2004. As the person named was neither an active milk producer nor the owner of a milk quota he did not therefore satisfy the criteria for Category C. The person named submitted an appeal against this decision and provided additional documentation in support of his appeal. In all such cases, the procedure is that all contentions put forward in support of an appeal 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 did not provide grounds for a change to the original decision.
This case was forwarded to the Independent Single Payments Appeals Committee who upheld my Departments decision. However, the person named has requested a review of the decision taken by the Independent Appeals Committee. His request will be put before the next meeting of this Committee and following this meeting the Committee will contact him directly.
The person named also applied for consideration under the 2006 National Reserve under Categories A and B. However, he did not provide sufficient documentation to allow my Department to finalise his application. My Department has been in touch with him and is awaiting the receipt of the required documentation in order to fully process his application. Following processing the person named will be notified directly of the outcome of his 2006 National Reserve application.