Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 264: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a decision will be made on an appeal of the decision to refuse an application by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny under the national reserve for a single farm payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33299/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Category D. This category caters for farmers who purchased or inherited land and 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. The person named was not successful under this category as the land acquired was leased land which does not qualify for this category. This decision has now been appealed to the Independent Single Payment Appeals Committee who will carry out a full review of the case and will correspond directly with the person named following the outcome of their review.

However, in the 2006 National Reserve there are provisions for New Entrants to farming who have leased land. This category (Category B) caters for farmers who commenced farming after 31 December 2002 or who, while farming during 2002, did not receive any direct payments in respect of that year. The income and educational qualification that applied in 2005 will again apply to this category. In addition, new entrants who are farming leased / rented land will be eligible for an allocation provided they can demonstrate a genuine commitment to farming. In this context the leased/rented land must have been declared on the 2004 Area Aid application and on the 2005 and 2006 Single Payment Scheme applications.

My Department has forwarded a 2006 National Reserve application form to the person named for his attention. Should the person named feel that he qualifies for the 2006 National Reserve, he should return the completed application form to my Department's offices in Portlaoise on or before the closing date of 20 October 2006.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a single farm payment will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33300/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named has established 38.03 entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme at a net unit value of €68.50 each. An application under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named by my Department on 5 April 2006. Following processing of the application, the 50% advance payment, amounting to €1,250.43, issued to the applicant on 16 October 2006. My Department will commence making balancing payments on 1 December 2006.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of unused single farm payments in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33301/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is continuing to make payments under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme as applications are processed to finality. In most instances, the payments involved are in addition to the main payment received by the applicants. These additional payments arise following the transfer of entitlements by way of inheritance, Private Contract Clause (purchase or lease of lands and entitlements) and name changes to the holder of the herd number.

Ireland's national ceiling for the 2005 Single Payment Schemes is €1,260 million. This figure is reduced to €1,222 million after the mandatory 3% modulation reduction of €38 million. To date, payments amounting to €1,179 million have been paid to applicants under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme. In addition, refunds of modulated funds of €14.2 million have been paid to farmers bringing the total payments to date under the 2005 Single Payment Scheme to more than €1,193 million.

Payments as of now unused fall into a number of categories as follows:

farmers, who did not receive their full Single Payment, as they did not declare sufficient land in 2005; many of these farmers have declared additional land in 2006 — €13.6 million

farmers, who submitted a 2005 SPS application to activate entitlements only and who are not entitled to payment as they were not farming in 2005 — it is open to these farmers or their successors to draw down these payments under 2006 or 2007 schemes — €7.3 million

farmers, who did not submit a 2005 SPS application — these entitlements will be surrendered to the National Reserve unless a valid application from a 2005 Single Payment applicant for the transfer of these entitlements — €8.1 million is approved;

Further payments will be made in the case of the following categories of applicants;

farmers, who inherited lands and entitlements where the supporting documentation is still outstanding;

other complicated cases where lands were exchanged between family members or where the holder of the herd number was changed.

applicants for new, additional or topped-up entitlements from the National Reserve (in most cases additional documentation or information is required before the application can be processed) or the application has to be assessed under the complex anti-accumulation rules provided for in the EU Regulations.