Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she will take to ensure that the single farm payment due to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath is awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39321/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application under the single payment scheme inheritance category. This application has been successfully processed and his entitlements have been consolidated to the number of hectares submitted on his 2005 single payment application form. Payment will shortly issue to the person named.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she will take to ensure that the single farm payment due to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly is awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39322/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the single payment scheme was received from the person named on 16 May 2005, with a declared area of 50.65 hectares.

While the person named had been advised that he had been allocated four entitlements, based on the farming activity during the reference years, a further 47.17 entitlements were also transferred to the person named, giving a total of 51.17 entitlements. In order to qualify, however, for full payment under the single payment scheme, an applicant must declare an eligible hectare to accompany each entitlement. This requirement was set out clearly in the documentation supplied to farmers on several occasions.

Therefore, the application of the person named is being processed for payment on the basis of the declared area. Payment is expected to issue shortly.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps she will take to ensure that the single farm payment due to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly is awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39323/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the single payment scheme was received from the person named on 9 May 2005, with a declared area of 13.83 hectares. The person named had been advised that he had been allocated 3.48 entitlements, based on his farming activity during the reference years. The application of the person named has already been processed on this basis and payment will issue this week. As the person named is being assigned an additional 10.38 entitlements under the private contract clause procedure, a further payment will be made immediately this process is completed. It is expected that this payment will issue shortly.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will qualify for entitlements under the single payments scheme from the national reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39365/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Following an unsuccessful application and appeal under the force majeure or exceptional circumstances measure of the single payment scheme, the person named was invited in August 2005 to submit an application for consideration under the national reserve measure of the scheme. My Department, however, has no record of receipt of an application form from the person named.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 259: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will qualify under the single payment scheme for consideration as new entrant or inheritance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39366/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for inheritance under the single payment scheme. My Department has been in contact with him regarding documentation needed in order to process his application. The required documentation has not been received to date. On receipt of this documentation my Department will process his inheritance application.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will qualify for the single farm payment from the national reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39367/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person in question submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the single payments scheme national reserve under categories A and D. Category A caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16 May 2005 and who had leased out his or her holding to a third party during the reference period 2000 to 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.

However, 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 or her.

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.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Offaly cannot obtain a herd number in his own right; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39368/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person in question has been registered as keeper for all purposes related to the herd since the end of August 2005, but notification did not issue to him because of a difficulty regarding registration as herdowner for the purposes of payment. The person's wife has been registered as the herdowner. The parties involved have now been informed of the decision and have consented to it.