Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1003: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the single farm payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [1597/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application under the single payment scheme on 12 May 2005. Following initial processing of his application certain problems were identified concerning the boundaries of two of the parcels listed. These matters have now been satisfactorily resolved and payment should issue shortly.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 1004: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers in receipt of the single farm payment in each county; the number of farmers who had payments delayed in each county and the average length of delay in each county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1671/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 1005: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers who have had single farm payments delayed in County Tipperary; the average length of each delay; when all farmers in County Tipperary will have payments made to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1672/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 1006: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if interest will be applied to the payments of farmers whose single farm payments were delayed through no fault of the individual farmer involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1673/06]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 1007: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of staff assigned to the single farm payments helpline each week from December 2005 to date; the number of calls answered each week; the average duration of each call; if additional staff will be appointed to assist this section; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1674/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1004 to 1007, inclusive, together.

The table supplied sets out the number of farmers in each county whose payments under the 2005 single payment scheme had issued by 23 January 2006. The number of applications with outstanding problems, which must be solved prior to payment is also set out. Payments will continue to issue to farmers as their applications are processed to completion in accordance with the EU legislation governing the single payment scheme. Under this legislation member states may commence payment under the single payment scheme on 1 December of the year of application with payments being fully processed by the following 30 June.

My priority in 2005, the first year of this new scheme, was to maximise the number of payments to eligible applicants by the earliest date possible of 1 December and I am satisfied that this was achieved. Since then it has been my absolute priority to ensure that the issues that are holding up the remaining cases are resolved with the applicants concerned and that payments are made without undue delay. To this end, I have arranged that payments are issued on a very regular basis as soon as the problems with the outstanding cases are resolved.

A dedicated help line with a lo-call number was established in April of 2005 by my Department to assist farmers with queries relating to the single payment scheme. From the beginning of December the number of staff answering calls to the help line was increased. The staff dealt with over 17,000 calls during the first three weeks of December. The dedication of staff to deal specifically with the single lo-call number during December allowed other staff to maximise the rate of clearance of applications for payment.

Eleven lo-call numbers have replaced the single lo-call number since 23 December. The dispersal of the calls in a more targeted fashion was designed to reduce the time spent by farmers in contacting my Department and to ensure that the person taking the call would be in a position to deal with the specific detailed queries then being received. This revised arrangement is working well with farmers' telephone queries being resolved on an ongoing basis.

Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1008: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in having the EU single payment issued to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [1692/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted applications for consideration in respect of both the new entrant and inheritance measures of the single payment scheme. Following processing of both applications, he was notified that his application for consideration in respect of the new entrant measure was unsuccessful because he did not commence farming activity during the reference years from 2000 to 2002. The application for consideration in respect of the inheritance measure was successful. The application of the person named was processed and payment amounting to €15,142.46 in respect of the 2005 single payment scheme was made on 24 January 2006.

Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1009: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in the EU single payment issuing to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [1693/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named lodged the single payment scheme application form on 12 May 2005. Following initial processing of the application a query was raised concerning a parcel of land declared and a letter issued on 15 September 2005 to which a reply has not been received. an official from the Department of Agriculture and Food has contacted the person named with a view to resolving this issue and the application will be processed when the issue raised has been resolved.

Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 1010: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in having payment of the EU single payment and the forestry premium issued to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [1694/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under EU legislation, in order to draw down his or her full single payment, an applicant 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. While the person named established 54.46 entitlements, the single payment scheme application form received on 26 April 2005 declared 52.07 forage hectares. Payment amounting to €15,174.59 under the scheme, therefore, was based on the 52.07 eligible hectares declared. This payment was issued on 24 January 2006.

If the person named declares sufficient land on his 2006 single payment scheme application, he will be in a position to claim full entitlements. Payment of the relevant forest premium will be made in the next two weeks.