Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 550: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if area aid applications can be accessed on-line; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10126/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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E-services is the electronic service of the Department of Agriculture and Food. There are a number of e-services available to clients at present which can be accessed via the Department website at www.agriculture.gov.ie.

IMap/SPS provides access, from 2001 onwards, once the applications are fully processed, to the single payment scheme or area aid scheme information, including: summary application details, parcel details and arable payment inquiry; document inquiry showing scanned images of area aid correspondence with the Department, all of which may be printed; colour mapping for land parcels, which also may be printed; and payment details.

AIM provides access to the animal identification and movement system, including: calf birth registration facility, which allows for registration of calf births on-line; herd profile inquiry, which gives details of animals in the herd on CMMS, as well as movements in and out of the herd; and a compliance certificate facility, which allows for on-line application for CMMS compliance certificates, which are required for certain animal movements.

Future developments currently being examined by officials of my Department include facilities to allow farmers apply on-line for the single payment scheme and to allow farmers to check the ten-month end date for individual parcels, on-line. It is expected that this latter facility will be available shortly, while it is hoped that the on-line application facility will be available for the 2007 scheme.

I strongly encourage clients of my Department to register on the web site, www.agriculture.gov.ie, for existing and future services by clicking on the e-services icon and following the simple instructions. Farmers can also contact the e-services helpdesk, lo-call number 1890 252 118, to register over the phone or to obtain a paper application. Applicants are provided with a personal access code, PAC, and password, for secure interaction with the Department. Once a client has registered for e-services, he or she will have access to all new facilities introduced by the Department that are applicable to his or her enterprise. As well as providing on-line facilities, the Department will also make facilities available using mobile phone technology in the future, as part of our ongoing commitment to the improvement of our customer services.