Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 1319: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary on the single farm payment scheme 2005 and 2006. [1135/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named was paid €44,158.18 under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme. He applied for and was granted a concession under the force majeure provisions of the scheme whereby one year was omitted from the calculation of his reference amount, thereby increasing his overall single payment entitlement.

He 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 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 applied under Category B(ii) in relation to the purchase of suckler quota and has been deemed successful under this category.

However, the Regulations governing the Single Payment Scheme provide that checks must be made to ensure that an allocation from the National Reserve, to an applicant who has already benefited under other measures associated with the Single Payment Scheme, does not result in double benefit. An applicant may only benefit from the measure that is most beneficial. The person named has already benefited from another measure (Force Majeure during the reference period) and an allocation from the Reserve would result in double benefit. Therefore, the National Reserve will not be applied in this case as the Force Majeure measure is more beneficial. A formal letter outlining this decision will issue shortly to the person named.

The person named has been paid an advance of €21,777.23 in respect of his 2006 Single Payment application. An application under the Consolidation measure of the 2006 Single Farm Payment Scheme was submitted on 12 May 2006. It was not possible to process the Consolidation measure prior to the National Reserve measure being finalised. As this has now been done, the Consolidation measure has been processed and this case is eligible for consolidation. However there is a shortfall of 8.20 hectares because only 4.22 hectares can be accounted for as land farmed during the reference period that is no longer available as a result of the expiry of a rental agreement.

A letter issued to the person named on 24th January 2007 explaining the position and requesting him to confirm whether he wishes to proceed with his consolidation application or withdraw it. This confirmation is necessary because if the consolidation application proceeds, 3.98 consolidated entitlements to the value of €3,261.13 (in respect of lands not declared on the 2006 Single Payment application) will be lost to the National Reserve.

The balance of the 2006 Single Payment will issue to the person named when the completed confirmation form is returned to my Department.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 1320: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food further to Parliamentary Question No. 518 of 1 November 2006, when a decision will be made on funding to a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1136/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned is an applicant under the Farm Waste Management Scheme. An inspection will be carried out shortly by an inspector of my Department and a decision will be made in respect of the application as soon as possible.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1321: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the single farm payments due to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be issued as soon as possible; if the payments will be brought up to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1137/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme to the person named was submitted on the 3rd November 2006. The application was accepted even though the closing date for receipt of completed applications to transfer entitlements was 16 May 2006.

The application has now been fully processed and payment in respect of 47.60 entitlements transferred by way of gift will issue shortly.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1322: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the balance of the single farm payment will be granted immediately to persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will expedite the matter. [1138/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme from the first person named to the second person named was submitted on the 13th May 2006.

This application has now been fully processed and payment in respect of 35.65 entitlements transferred by way of gift will issue shortly.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1323: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the balance of the single farm payment due to persons (details supplied) in County Carlow will be granted immediately in view of the fact that the local office has confirmed that there is no query on their file and it was a Department error; and if she will expedite the matter. [1139/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An application was submitted in this case under the Consolidation measure of the 2006 Single Farm Payment Scheme. The Consolidation application has been processed and the balance of the Single Farm Payment issued on 23rd January 2007.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1324: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if issues relating to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow have been resolved; if payment will be made to them as soon as possible in view of the hardship of the case. [1140/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 24 April 2006. Following initial processing, it was found that three of the land parcels claimed by the person named were also declared by another applicant. These lands were, apparently, the subject of legal proceedings between the person named and other parties.

The ruling of the Circuit Court in this matter has been examined by my Department. However, as this ruling clarifies the ownership of these lands only from the date of the ruling i.e. 14 June 2006, further clarification is required by my Department before the 2006 Single Payment application of the person named can be fully processed.