Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 356: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will receive the full amount of moneys owed to him under the single farm payment scheme. [39103/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named established 64.2 standard entitlements under the single payment scheme. A single payment application was received on 27 April 2005 declaring a total of 36.98 hectares.

Under EU legislation, an applicant, in order to draw down payment in respect of his or her full single payment, must declare an eligible hectare to accompany each entitlement. This requirement was set out clearly in the documentation supplied to farmers on a number of occasions. Therefore, a payment amounting to €10,148.15, based on 36.98 hectares declared on the 2005 single payment application form, issued on 1 December 2005. If the applicant declares sufficient land on his 2006 single payment application, he will be in a position to claim on his full entitlements next year.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a single farm payment has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this person owns the vast proportion of the farm in his own name; if the payment can be made as there are outstanding debts due on the farm; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39120/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for the transfer of entitlements by private contract clause. The application was examined and as the transfer of entitlements was not by way of lease, rental agreement or sale, the private contract clause application was rejected. The person named was advised to submit an application for the transfer of entitlements under the inheritance measure. The inheritance application was submitted and the person named was advised on 15 November 2005 that a copy of the grant of administration in respect of his late mother's estate is required before the inheritance application can be processed.

An official from my Department contacted the person named on 9 December 2005 and advised on the documents required to process the application to conclusion.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a decision will be made on an application for the single payment entitlements from the national reserve by a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39121/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payments scheme national reserve under categories B and C. Category B 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 and 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 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 over 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 early in 2006. The Department will be in touch with individual applicants as soon as their applications are fully processed.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not been credited with a single farm payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39125/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named was paid his full single farm payment on 1 December 2005.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 360: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if entitlements under various national reserve headings have been credited to persons (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39126/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An application was submitted in this case for an allocation of entitlements from the single payments scheme national reserve under categories B(1), (11), (111) and D. Category B 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 and 2002. Category D caters for farmers who commenced farming after 31 December 2002 or who commenced farming in 2002 but who received no direct payments in respect of that scheme year. 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 over 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 early in 2006. The Department will be in touch with individual applicants as soon as their applications are fully processed.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 361: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway is not entitled to a higher rate of single farm payment; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this person planted an area of land before new rules were announced relating to the fact that less than 50% of a holding would need to be planted to enable maximum entitlements to be drawn on the farm; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that the area planted is only three quarters of a hectare over the 50% land area of the farm; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39128/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named established 19.51 standard entitlements under the single payment scheme. A single payment scheme application was received from the person named on 9 of May 2005, declaring a total of 8.98 hectares of forage lands. Under EU legislation, an applicant, in order to draw down his or her full single payment must declare an eligible hectare to accompany each entitlement. This requirement was set out clearly in the documentation supplied to farmers on a number of occasions. If the applicant declares sufficient land on his 2006 single payment application, he will be in a position to claim on his full entitlements next year.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 362: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a higher rate of single payment was not awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the grants received in this case for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39131/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application and received payment of slaughter premium in respect of four heifers in 2000. No other applications were submitted under the premia and arable aid schemes during that year or in 2001 and 2002. Neither were any applications submitted during the earlier reference period of 1997-99. The person named submitted an application under the force majeure measure of the single farm payment scheme. This application was deemed successful and the best possible financial position, that is, year 2000 on its own, was granted to the applicant. Unfortunately, the force majeure measure of the single payment regulations does not provide for the allocation of any additional or higher entitlements regardless of the circumstances.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 363: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the 2004 extensification premium was not awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a genuine mistake was made by this person when they inadvertently believed that their forage area was 14.35 hectares when in fact it was 13.12 hectares; if her attention has further been drawn to the fact that extensification premium is vitally important; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39132/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under EU regulations, extensification premium for 2004 may only be paid where the stocking density of a holding does not exceed 1.8 livestock units per hectare. The stocking density of the holding was determined by dividing the average number of bovine livestock units at five census dates, plus the total number of sheep livestock units, by the declared forage area. The person named declared a forage area of 13.12 hectares on his 2004 area aid application form. Since the stocking density of the holding in this case amounted to 1.8856 livestock units per hectare in 2004, the person named is not eligible for extensification premium.

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 364: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position in relation to a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; when this person will be granted their single farm payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39139/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named did not submit an application under the herd number listed. However, an SPS application signed by the person named was received under herd No. Z225095X but no land was declared. The person named submitted an application under the private contract clause provision and the transfer of 12.08 entitlements to her was processed. Under EU legislation, an applicant, in order to draw down payment in respect of standard entitlements, must declare on the single payment application form submitted, an eligible hectare to accompany each entitlement. Since the application received did not have any land declared, it was not possible to make a single farm payment for 2005. However, as the entitlements have been activated, they will not revert to the national reserve. If the applicant declares sufficient land on her 2006 single payment application, she will be in a position to claim on her full entitlements next year.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 365: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo did not receive the full entitlements which they were told they were entitled to in a letter which they had received previously in 2005; the breakdown of the reason this person was promised €2,575.91 on their list of entitlements and only received €1,195.11. [39149/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named established 19.51 standard entitlements under the single payment scheme. A single payment scheme application was received from the person named on 16 of May 2005, declaring a total of 9.05 hectares of forage lands. Under EU legislation, an applicant, in order to draw down his or her full single payment, must declare an eligible hectare to accompany each entitlement. This requirement was set out clearly in the documentation supplied to farmers on a number of occasions. Therefore, the person named was paid €1,195.11 based on 9.05 hectares declared on the 2005 single payment application form. If the applicant declares sufficient land on his 2006 single payment application, he will be in a position to claim on his full entitlements next year.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 366: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a decision will issue in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary who has appealed a decision in their application under the single payment scheme. [39187/05]

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 single payment appeals committee. Following a full examination of the circumstances outlined in the appeal, the single payment appeals committee made a recommendation and a letter issued to the person named on 1 December 2005. The findings of the appeals committee were that the original decision taken by my Department should be upheld. The decisions of the single payment unit and the single payment appeals committee were based on the fact that the TB depopulation predated the reference years by such period as to have allowed the person named time to restock before the commencement of the reference period. However, following this decision my Department has received additional information from the person named regarding the circumstances of this case. This information is under review and a reply will issue shortly.

Liam Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 367: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when an application by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny under the national reserve will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on this particular application. [39305/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payments scheme national reserve under category B. Category B 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 position is that over 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 early in 2006. The Department will be in touch with individual applicants as soon as their applications are fully processed.