David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the average length of time it takes to process an application under the single payment scheme; the reason there have been delays in applicants receiving payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18856/06]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of applications received for the single farm payment; the number of payments which have been made to date under the scheme; the number of applications which are awaiting decisions; the number which have been refused payment; when she expects all the applications for 2006 to be processed and payments made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18855/06]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers awaiting payment under the single farm payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18779/06]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when all farmers will be issued with the single farm payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18783/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 44, 47, 93 and 99 together.

One of my main objectives since assuming office as Minister for Agriculture and Food, was to ensure the efficient implementation of the decoupled Single Payment Scheme — the most significant change to agricultural support since our accession to the European Community.

This huge task was successfully implemented when over €1 billion in Single Payments issued to 118,500 farmers last December, meeting the target we had set ourselves of making the payments on the first possible date. This was a major undertaking and the outcome, after painstaking preparatory work in establishing individual entitlements, was, by any standards, a major achievement. Total payments to date amount to €1,162 million, involving over 99% of farmers, who hold entitlements and who applied for the 2005 Single Payment Scheme.

Under EU 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 maximize 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 issue on a very regular basis, as soon as the problems with the outstanding cases are resolved.

To date, almost 127,000 farmers have been paid under the Scheme, while there are 795 applicants with entitlements with outstanding issues to be resolved before payment can be made.

In common with the Direct Payment 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 must 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, with lands, by way of inheritance, gift, lease or purchase. Many of these applications were only received after my Department made direct contact with the farmers in question, and some have yet to be submitted. Every effort is being made by my Department to resolve the outstanding cases but many of these are extremely complex and, in other cases, my Department is still awaiting documentation before payment can be made.

I should add that the changeover to the Single Payment was undertaken while work continued on winding up the coupled schemes. 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.

With regard to the 2006 Single Payment Scheme, the Deputy will be aware that the closing date for receipt of applications was Monday of the week, 15 May 2006. While there is a facility for farmers to lodge applications after this date, up to 9 June 2005, any such applications will be subject to a regulatory 1% per working day penalty. I am very encouraged, however, by the pattern of application under the 2006 Scheme and have every reason to believe that late applications will be fewer than the 1,000 under the 2005 Scheme.

While initial processing commenced immediately, the first 2006 applications were received in my Department, it will be appreciated that dealing with the volume of applications involved is an enormous task. However, it is hoped that fewer errors will be revealed in the validation process, particularly given the refinements in the application form. Similarly, farmers themselves are more familiar with the requirements of the new scheme, having had the experience of 2005.

Currently, the regulations provide for payments to commence on 1 December of the year of application. However, conscious of farmers' cash flow and mindful that Christmas makes additional demands on all, including farmers, I have instructed my officials to seek the approval of the EU Commission for making advance payments, effective from 16 October, the first day of the EU financial year.