Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 308: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of herdowners who have entitlement under the new single farm payment scheme. [15354/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of herdowners who currently have entitlements established under the single payment scheme is 136,985.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will review the level of suckler cow payment made to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15355/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named applied for premium on 34 animals under the 2004 suckler cow premium scheme. Under the terms and conditions of the scheme a producer may be paid premium on up to 1.8 reckonable livestock units only per hectare of forage area as established from the producer's 2004 area aid application.

The forage area on record for the person named is 24.06 hectares, which entitles him to premia payment on a maximum of 43.3 livestock units. As he has already been paid premium in respect of 14.4 special beef livestock units the most he can get paid on under the suckler cow scheme is 28.9 livestock units.

His payments of €4,572.66 on 18 October 2004 and €2,443.23 on 18 April 2005 are in respect of these 28.9 livestock units, that is, six heifers under two years at 0.6 which equals 3.6 livestock units and 25.3 cows-heifers over two years which equals 25.3 livestock units. This is his maximum entitlement under the 2004 suckler cow premium scheme and he can be paid no more under it.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 310: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the single payment entitlements for a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15375/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named has a reference amount of €52.80 under the single payment scheme. This amount will be payable to him provided he submits a single payment application form on or before 16 May with details of the forage area farmed by him in 2005.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she is taking to rectify the anomaly created by the special beef premium overshoot; her plans to compensate farmers; the outcomes of discussions on the matter with the EU Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15466/05]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 312: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if compensation and payment to affected farmers will be arranged in view of the decimating impact of the special beef premium overshoot on the farm income of many beef finishers. [15467/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 and 312 together.

I made arrangements last month to expedite balancing payments to farmers affected by the special beef premium quota excess, based on an estimated overshoot reduction. Over the last three weeks, €83 million has been paid to special beef, suckler cow and slaughter premium applicants, with the bulk of this going to farmers with more than 25 special beef premium animals.

I have also raised the matter of the overshoot with the European Commission, pointing out that it was never the intention of the mid-term reform of the CAP that farmers would be disadvantaged in the transition to the single payment scheme. As the extent of the special beef premium quota excess is linked to the move to full decoupling of direct payments in 2005, I have asked the Commission to address the problem as a matter of urgency.

I will pursue this matter vigorously with the EU Agriculture Commissioner, but it is necessary to give the Commission sufficient time to examine the submissions made to it by my Department.