Joe Walsh (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if payment of a single farm payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [36054/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2006. The 50% advance payment, in the amount of €8,189.39, issued to the person named on 25 October 2006.

Liam Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will extend the time limit for grants applications under the Nitrates Directive for farmers who now find they will not have their planning applications processed before the end of December, in view of the delay in receiving clarification from the EU and taking into account the Christmas holiday period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36055/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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A revised Farm Waste Management Scheme was introduced by my Department in March 2006 in order to assist farmers meet the additional requirements of the Nitrates Directive. As the Scheme forms part of the current EU Rural Development Round, it must close for new applications at the end of this year. I have already agreed that, where the proposed works under the Scheme require planning permission, applications may be forwarded to my Department as soon as an application for such permission has been made to the relevant local authority. I am keeping this procedure under review to ensure that the scheme is availed of to the maximum extent.

Before final consideration of the application can take place, full and final planning permission, including conditions, must be received.

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will ensure that entitlements under the national reserve for 2005 for a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim are granted as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36072/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named applied for an allocation of entitlements from the Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under category A, and category B. 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 2000-2002. The person named was not successful under this category as the land acquired was not leased out during the reference period.

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 2000-2002. Investments can include purchase or long-term lease of land, purchase of suckler and/or ewe quota or other investments. The person named applied under two sub-sections of Category B — namely B(i) and B(iv).

Under B(i) the person named applied for allocation of additional entitlements in respect of leased land. In order to receive additional entitlements from the National Reserve, an applicant must have land free of entitlements. Under the Single Payment Scheme, farmers established entitlements based on the premia claimed and the number of hectares declared on their Area Aid during the reference years 2000-2002. In order to receive payment on these entitlements the farmer must declare an eligible hectare of land for each entitlement. The person named established 48.89 entitlements during the reference years but only declared 48.18 eligible hectares on his 2005 Single Payment form. Therefore he has no land free to allocate additional entitlements to under Category B(i) of the National Reserve.

In addition, as the person named did not have sufficient land to receive payment on all of his entitlements in 2005 he opted to consolidate his entitlements which meant that he maximised his Single Payment for 2005.

With regard to the application submitted under B(iv) — other investment — my Department has written to the person named requesting him to submit documentary evidence in support of this investment. To date no reply has been received.

Furthermore this particular case also involved a successful application under the Force Majeure measure of the Single Payment Scheme and if the person named is deemed successful under Category B(iv) he will have to be examined under the anti-accumulation provisions of the regulations to ensure that any allocation from the National Reserve does not result in double benefit.