Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 524: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the estimated projected loss to farmers in Kildare of the special premium overshoot; if a reduced rate of payment will be made to the farmers in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19174/05]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 525: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of meetings she has had or proposes to have with the EU Commissioner in regard to the special premium overshoot and its effect on farm income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19175/05]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 526: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of meetings her officials have had with the IFA in regard to the special premium overshoot; the action taken as a result of such meetings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19176/05]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the estimated loss to the farming community of the special premium overshoot; if a satisfactory resolution of the issue is not attained, the plans she has to address such a position; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19177/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 524 to 527, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy is aware, Ireland implemented the single payment scheme in January 2005. The special beef premium scheme and the slaughter premium scheme were the only schemes where the deadline for receipt of applications was 31 December 2004. This meant that as many farmers as possible submitted their applications in late December 2004 in order that they could benefit from the special beef premium. Under the 2004 scheme, applications for in excess of 2.4 million animals were lodged, of which almost 1.4 million were quota animals, that is, first age-bull animals. The application figure in each of the three previous years was 1.9 million animals.

I am fully aware of the impact that the overshoot reduction will have on farmers who claimed on more than 25 animals. The decision to opt for full decoupling was arrived at following careful consideration of all options and a widespread public consultation process. A persuasive factor in this process was the suggestion that farmers in those member states which fully decoupled would not be disadvantaged during the transitional period. The level of overshoot of the regional ceiling is attributable to the ending of the special beef premium scheme in 2004 and application patterns, both in terms of total numbers of animals applied upon and the timing of lodging of applications, strongly suggest this to be the case.

I am seeking a solution to this issue and will continue to do so with the European Commissioner. I have already raised the issue with the Commissioner on a number of occasions during various meetings. My Department also forwarded a detailed submission to the European Commission dealing with this matter on 25 April 2005 and a meeting between my officials and the various services of the Commission's agriculture directorate general will take place later this week. The matter has also been discussed with the Commissioner's cabinet and the most senior officials of the European Commission.

I have also met the president of the Irish Farmers Association and several of that organisation's senior officials, while my officials have also had numerous meetings with IFA officials. I continue to avail of every opportunity to press for appropriate measures to be put in place to alleviate the difficulties encountered by Irish beef farmers as a result of the ending of the special beef premium in 2004.

Given the current position with regard to the processing of the 2004 scheme and the ongoing discussions with the Agriculture Commissioner on the overshoot, it is not possible at this stage to be definitive about some of the issues raised.