Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 449: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the area-based payment for 2004 has not been made to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31667/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The 2004 area aid application of the person named was fully processed with an area determined for payment purposes of 18.17 hectares. Payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme issued on 17 September 2004. His 2005 application has also been fully processed with an area of 18.17 hectares. His grant under the 2005 scheme will issue shortly.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a decision has been made on an application by a person (details supplied) in County Galway to receive entitlements from the national reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31668/05]

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the single payment calculated for a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31669/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.

The person named has established 57.66 entitlements with a total net value of €6,423.90 under the single payment scheme. The person named submitted an application for consideration of force majeure-exceptional circumstances in respect of his entitlements under the scheme. 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. The person named appealed that decision to the independent single payment appeals committee. The finding of the appeals committee was that the original decision taken by my Department should be upheld.

The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payment scheme national reserve under category B which caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, 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 to 2002.

The person named also submitted an application 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. It should be noted however that the rules governing the single payment scheme stipulate that an applicant who is found to be eligible under more than one category in the reserve may only receive an allocation of entitlements under whichever category is most beneficial to him.

The position is that more than 23,000 applications for an allocation of entitlements from the national reserve were received when account is taken of farmers who applied under more than one category. Processing of these applications is continuing and the intention is to make allocations to successful applicants at the earliest opportunity. The Department will be in touch with individual applicants as soon as their applications are fully processed.