DEAR SIR: Please publish this letter as it explains the findings of the EU Court of Auditors in 2006 on the implementation of the Single Farm Payment (SFP) as it relates to the removal of SFP entitlements at the termination of a lease by lessees.

The European Court of Auditors consists of a member from each member state. The Irish member at that time was Maire Geoghegan-Quinn.

The EU Court of Auditors has consistently ruled that “it is contrary to the spirit of EU legislation”.

The total number of eligible hectares in the country in 2006 was 702,000ha which means that the total number of eligible hectares after stacking was 552,000ha

Some 150,000ha were illegally removed from the leased land to which they had been attached and taken away and stacked on the lessee’s farms according to the European Court of Auditors. To give an idea of the magnitude of 150,000ha: 100ha = 1 square km, 150,000ha = 1,500 square km, 1,500 square km = 186 km long x 8 km wide. The distance from Galway to Dublin is 186km.

The total number of eligible hectares in the country in 2006 was 702,000ha which means that the total number of eligible hectares after stacking was 552,000ha. That stacking increased the value of the 552,000ha by 20%, according to the EU Court of Auditors.

That 20% amounted to €222m and belonged on the farms from which it was taken.

The Commission shall issue an acknowledgement of all complaints within 15 working days of receipt

At the end of every regulation is a statement that “this regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all member states”. Article 228 TFEU (Lisbon Treaty) confirms that statement which we voted for. There is a document (Eur-lex Document 52012DC0154) that explains how to complain (complainant in respect of the application of Union law).

It states: “The Commission shall issue an acknowledgement of all complaints within 15 working days of receipt.”

So it’s up to individuals who now have the opportunity to do something if they feel that they have naked acres where they should have the SFP attached to their land. The email address for the complaint is SG-PLAINTES@ec.europa.eu. To anybody affected, best of luck.