Written answers

Thursday, 9 February 2006

Department of Agriculture and Food

Grant Payments

5:00 pm

Photo of Jim O'KeeffeJim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the administrative process in relation to the issue of payment cheques to farmers; the delays that can occur in relation to payments where entitlement to payments has been clearly established; the causes of such delays; and the efforts being made to ensure prompt payment. [4813/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Some 143,000 applications were received under the 2005 single payment scheme. In addition to those applicants seeking both to activate their entitlements and also receive payment, applications were received from farmers seeking only to activate their entitlements. It will be recalled that farmers who did not seek to activate their entitlements in 2005 would, under EU rules, forfeit these entitlements to the national reserve.

Of the 143,000 applications received, approximately 128,000 are eligible for payment under the 2005 scheme. To date, payments worth in excess of €1.118 billion have issued to 123,000 farmers.

In common with the coupled schemes, which the single payment scheme replaced, delays in processing can be caused by many factors, including incomplete application forms, errors on applications and discrepancies highlighted following computer validation, which are required to be resolved via correspondence with the applicant.

In many cases, payment could not be made because applicants did not submit an application to transfer the single payment entitlements to them with lands by way of inheritance, gift, lease or purchase. Many of the applications were only received after my Department made direct contact with the farmers in question during recent weeks and some have yet to be submitted.

Applications under the single payment scheme are processed as follows. They are date stamped upon receipt and are then prepared and forwarded for scanning. This provides an electronic image of all applications and associated documentation received. Following scanning, the applications are presented to the single payment scheme unit to be data-captured onto the Department's database, SPS. Upon completion of data capture, applications which contain new plots-parcels, are submitted to a third party contractor, so that the plots-parcels can be digitised onto the Department's database. Amendment forms received are scanned and data captured. Selected applications are issued for inspection. Queries arising from the digitisation process are referred to the single payment scheme unit for resolution. Queries arising from the data capture or digitisation are then referred to the applicant through the issue of query letters. Responses received from applicants to queries raised are scanned upon receipt and are processed to finality if possible.

If necessary, further query letters are issued to resolve specific issues. Where selected, cases subject to inspections have results entered. Quality control procedure is carried out on cases available for payment. A payment file is generated and presented for payment.

The successful introduction of the single payment scheme in Ireland, in 2005, is testimony to the efforts of all concerned. It is my intention that this success will be built on into the future to the benefit of all concerned.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when area aid will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare for year ending 31 December 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4864/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application on 4 January 2006 to transfer entitlements with lands by way of inheritance under the provisions of the single payment scheme. However, the single payment entitlements could not be transferred as he did not receive lands by way of gift or inheritance. The applicant was informed that the transfer was more appropriate to the private contract clause measure as the lands in question were purchased.

A private contract clause application form was forwarded to the person named for completion. Upon receipt of the completed application form, my Department will notify the person named of the outcome and issue the single payment if the application is successful.

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a statement of entitlements under the single farm payment scheme will re-issue to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if the calculations for this payment will issue for clarification. [4865/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The original statement of provisional entitlements, which issued to all farmers who actively farmed during all or any of the three reference years 2002, 2001 and 2002, and who were paid livestock premia and-or arable aid payments in one or more of those years, included a table showing the basis of the calculation. Those farmers who considered that full account had not been taken of all their qualifying activities during the reference years were invited to contact the Department to seek a review of the calculation in their own particular case. No such request was received from the person named. However, I have arranged for an official of my Department to contact the person named directly in order to clarify the matter. If it is found that the original calculation of entitlements did not take full account of her applications under the livestock premia schemes during the reference years, the established entitlements will be amended and a supplementary payment issued to the person named.

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the status of a national reserve application for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4870/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary 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 A, B, C 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-her holding to a third party during the reference period 2000-02.

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. Investments can include purchase or long-term lease of land, purchase of suckler and-or ewe quota or other investments.

Category C caters for farmers who, between 1 January 2000 and 19 October 2003, sold the 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.

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 at the earliest opportunity.

My Department will be in touch with individual applicants as soon as their applications are fully processed, when formal letters setting out my Department's decision will be issued.

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food, further to Question No. 114 of 26 January 2006, when the person will be issued with payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4872/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has completed its review of the value of the entitlements of the person in question. As a result of this review, the value of the entitlements has been increased and a supplementary payment amounting to €2,659.80 will be issued to the applicant shortly.

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in issuing a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon with the merged single farm payment; when the payment will be issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4875/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application under the single payment scheme on 10 May 2005 in respect of the Roscommon herd number. Full payment amounting to €4,432.78 in respect of 17.59 entitlements issued on 1 December 2005. An application, to transfer 6.65 entitlements with a total value of €1,366.84, from the Sligo herd number to the Roscommon herd number was processed on 24 January 2006. This brought the total established entitlements by the person named to 24.24. As the total forage area declared on the 2005 single payment was 21.99 hectares, she was eligible for payment on 4.4 of the 6.65 transferred entitlements. A supplementary payment amounting to €828.76 was issued on 2 February 2006 in respect of these 4.4 entitlements. In order to benefit from the full payment in 2006 on the 24.24 entitlements now held by the person named, she will need to declare 24.24 eligible hectares on her 2006 single payment application form.

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon is being refused the final part of their payment for their herd being locked up with tuberculosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4913/06]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The herd of the person referred to was restricted on 4 August 2005 following the disclosure of 11 reactor animals. The person concerned became eligible for income supplement in October 2005. Income supplement for October, December and January has been paid. Before processing November's payment my Department's local office is awaiting written clarification on the reason for a delay in a test which was due to be carried out in November. Income supplement due to be paid in February is currently being processed and should issue shortly. The herd was de-restricted following a clearance test of 4 February 2006.

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