Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 290: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a decision will be made in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [16968/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is processing the application of the above-named person. If it is established that the finished works meet all the requirements of the relevant Department's specifications and that all other conditions of the scheme have been met, the application will then be progressed for payment. An officer from my Department's local agricultural, environment and structures office will be in contact with the applicant shortly to arrange the required inspections.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 291: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary has not been accepted under the single payment scheme. [16969/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named, having been notified that the circumstances outlined by him did not satisfy the criteria for force majeure-exceptional circumstances under Article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003, submitted an appeal to the independent single payment appeals committee.

Following a full examination of the circumstances outlined in the appeal, the committee made a recommendation and a letter issued to the person named on 30 March 2005. The findings of the appeals committee were that the original decision taken by my Department should be upheld. Neither the extent of the hand injury suffered by the person named nor the effect of the foot and mouth disease outbreak were considered as satisfying the single payment scheme force majeure criteria.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 292: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a decision has been made in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [16970/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named, having been notified that the circumstances outlined by him did not satisfy the criteria for force majeure-exceptional circumstances under Article 40 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1782/2003, submitted an appeal to the independent single payment appeals committee.

Following a full examination of the circumstances outlined in the appeal, the committee made a recommendation and a letter issued to the person named on 31 December 2004. The findings of the appeals committee were that the original decision taken by my Department should be upheld. The person named also submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payment scheme national reserve under category C which caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, 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 closing date for receipt of completed applications under the national reserve was 16 May 2005 and in excess of 17,200 applications were received and are being processed at present. In view of the number of applications received and the documentation submitted, it will be some time before a decision is reached on whether the person named is entitled to an allocation from the reserve. He will be notified of his eligibility or otherwise as soon as all applications are processed.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 293: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a decision has been made in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [16971/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named has submitted an application for consideration in respect of the new entrant measure of the single payment scheme. Following processing of his application, it was noted that two herd numbers were assigned to the person named and as no direct premiums were established in respect of either herd number until 2002, he was notified that his application was successful and that the years 2000 and 2001 would be excluded from the calculation of his single payment entitlements. Both herd numbers have also been associated on the system. A statement of provisional entitlements issued to the person named on 7 February 2005.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 294: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, in relation to the suckler cow and slaughter premia, there was an overpayment in regard to a person in County Mayo; and the amount of same. [17014/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In October 2004, the person named was notified of penalties amounting to €4,063.81 and an interest charge in regard to detected non-compliance with the REP scheme. Under the 2004 slaughter premium scheme, one eligible animal was slaughtered under the herd number of the person named. The 60% advance payment in respect of this animal, €48, issued on 21 October 2004. The balancing payment of €30.40, which was scheduled to issue on 4 April 2005, did not issue as this amount was offset against the above-mentioned REPS penalty.

The person named applied for premium on 11 animals under the 2004 suckler cow premium scheme. The application has been processed and his 60% advance payment amounting to €1,479.39 issued to him on 18 October 2004. The 40% balancing payment of €986.26 has been offset against the REPS overpayment.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 295: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when premium will be awarded in respect of 34 bulls to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [17029/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted two applications under the 2004 special beef premium scheme, in respect of a total of 43 animals, 27 of which were declared as bulls. The first application, in respect of seven animals, six animals for first age premium and one animal for second age premium, was received on 4 November 2004. The second application, in respect of 36 animals, nine animals for first age and 27 bull animals, was received on 30 December 2004.

The 60% advance payment on both applications, together with the interim balancing payments on both applications, issued to the person named on 23 May 2005. The value of these payments was €5,897.10.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 296: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if compensation is available to farmers (details supplied); the assistance which is available to same; the process in these circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17041/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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No compensation is payable by my Department in the circumstances outlined. The Noxious Weeds Act 1936 makes provision for preventing the growth and spread of certain weeds, including ragworth, and that the owner, occupier, user and manager of lands on which those weeds are growing is liable for prosecution and to be fined if convicted.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 297: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cavan received grant aid of only €2,523; if this is a realistic 40% grant for this person's investment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17090/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned was an applicant under the dairy hygiene scheme and was given approval to proceed with the investment works concerned on 17 January 2002. Following the completion of the works, the eligible investment costs, based on the Department's standard costings, were calculated to be €6,307.60 and a 40% grant of €2,523.04 paid to the applicant accordingly.

The conditions of the scheme expressly state that the grant will be calculated on the basis of the receipted costs or on the Department's standard costings, whichever is the lesser. I am satisfied, therefore, that the amount of the grant has been calculated correctly in this case.