Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 767: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the single farm payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14661/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme to the person named was submitted on the 24th April 2006. During processing of the Transfer application it was found that the entitlements concerned were not registered in the name of the transferor. The entitlements had to firstly be transferred by inheritance to the transferor. Arrangements were made for the issue of an inheritance application form and this has now been fully processed.

The application to transfer the entitlements by way of lease to the person named has also been fully processed and payment in respect of 8.20 transferred entitlements will issue shortly. The person named has also made an application under the Consolidation measure of the Single Payment Scheme. This application will now be processed and payment will issue shortly.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 768: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if persons born before 1 January 1975 must have a green certificate or have completed at least 180 hours of a course in order to qualify for the installation aid grant. [14662/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The current Installation Aid Scheme applies to farmers set up for the first time in farming on or before 31 December 2006. By virtue of the terms of that Scheme, applicants born before 1 January 1975 must have, at the date of set-up or within two years of that date, a minimum of three years' experience in farming and have satisfactorily completed approved courses of training in farming of a minimum duration of 180 hours. Applicants engaged in certain specialized enterprises (e.g. mushrooms, nursery stock) may be required to complete an additional 60 hours training in that particular enterprise.

Applicants set up in farming on or after 1 January 2007 will be eligible to apply for grant-aid under the proposed new Young Farmers' Installation Scheme which will be introduced as soon as EU approval is received for the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 769: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the transfer of entitlements to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be completed in order that their single farm payment for 2006 can issue; and the delay in this regard as it has been ongoing for several months. [14663/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is that an application for the Transfer of Entitlements under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme to the second named person was received on the 30th November 2006. The application was accepted even though the closing date for completed applications to transfer entitlements was 16th May 2006. During processing of the application, it was necessary for an official of my Department to write to the second named person to seek clarification on certain matters relating to the application. The requested information was received and the application is now fully processed. Payment in respect of 79.02 entitlements transferred by way of inheritance will issue shortly.

The delay in processing the application to finality was due to the fact that the first person named submitted an application under a separate measure of the Single Payment scheme and that application had to be processed before entitlements could be transferred to the second named person.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 770: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in processing an application for the single farm payment for a person (details supplied) in County Cork; when payment will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14664/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named submitted an application to transfer in entitlements by way of Private Contract Clause. All outstanding issues relating to the transfer have been resolved and the outstanding payment due will issue to the applicant shortly.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 771: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, when a person applies for a farm modernisation and improvement grant, they will be given an indication of the precise amount of the grant they will receive upon approval, and in particular where they qualify for the maximum of 70% that the specific costing that would be utilised by her Department which would indicate the nature and size of the grant will be proffered to the applicant in order that they can evaluate and assess the amount the actual works they are engaged in carrying out will actually cost them in real terms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14715/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The revised Standard Costings used to calculate the level of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme are now available on my Department's web-site. Farmers, together with their advisers, are therefore in a position to determine the level of grant likely to be available for proposed works.