Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 367: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if grant-aid is available from her Department to persons (details supplied) in County Cork to purchase tonnage for fishing purposes. [18875/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Regulations governing grant-aiding the introduction of fishing vessels into the Irish fishing fleet are determined at EU level. The regulations do not allow, as a general principle, for the grant aiding of tonnage, or the purchase of new or replacement vessels.

However, grant aid support is available to assist young fishermen to establish themselves in the industry for the first time. This scheme is administered by BIM and is currently open. Under the terms of the scheme young fishermen (under 35 years of age at the time of application) who have not previously owned or part-owned any fishing vessel and are acquiring for the first time a second-hand whitefish vessel can avail of grant aid involving 10% of acquisition costs or an amount not exceeding €50,000, whichever is the lower.

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 368: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary, who has appealed the decision not to allow payment under the single payment scheme, due to a delay in submitting their area aid application in 2005. [18888/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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An official of my Department has been in direct contact with the person named and, on receipt of the outstanding required documentation from the person named, the case will be further examined with a view to having this matter satisfactorily addressed.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 369: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, with regard to the new installation aid scheme which allows for extensive production in some cases, consideration is being given to allowing applicants such as a person (details supplied) who applied under the old scheme, to qualify under the new scheme but by operating an extensive enterprise and thus a more environmentally friendly energy efficient business; if she will make a favourable decision as they are under time pressure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18894/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Young Farmers' Installation Scheme (YFIS) applies to young farmers set up in farming for the first time on or after 1 January 2007. An applicant set up in farming for the first time under a previous installation aid scheme is ineligible to apply for grant aid under YFIS. However, farmers set up in farming between 1 May-31 December 2006 under the Installation Aid Scheme are eligible to apply for the higher rate of grant under certain conditions.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 370: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not received their REP scheme payment under REP 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18907/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named incurred a 100% penalty (€14,317.64) following a REPS inspection. He was notified in writing of the amount of the penalty, and was told that it would be recovered by deductions from REPS and other scheme payments. For this reason a payment of €7,010, which would have been due to the person named, was withheld and offset against his debt. My Department has no option but to pursue debts in these circumstances, but my officials will consider sympathetically any proposals about alternative methods of repayment that the person named may wish to make.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason an application under the national reserve entitlement which was submitted eight months ago by a person (details supplied) in County Wexford has not been finalised; when this applicant will receive payment of their entitlement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18921/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person named applied to be considered for an allocation of entitlements under Categories A and D of the 2005 National Reserve. 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 to 2002. Category D caters for farmers who inherited or purchased 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 did not submit all the required documentation with his original application but this information has since been received and it has been established that he now qualifies under both Category A and D of the 2005 National Reserve.

The regulations governing the single payment scheme National Reserve stipulate that an applicant who is found to be eligible under more than one category in the Reserve may only receive an allocation of entitlements under whichever category is most beneficial to him/her. In this instance Category D is regarded as the most beneficial and the person named has been duly allocated under this Category. A letter outlining my Department's decision has issued to the person named and relevant payment due will issue soon.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the status of the application for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford and if a decision will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18924/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned is an applicant for grant aid under the Dairy Hygiene Scheme. Further details in respect of the completed works were requested from the applicant on 29 June 2007.

Johnny Brady (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 373: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will approve a range of agricultural schemes and programmes under the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18936/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The measures targeted at the agri-food sector under the National Development Plan, which also encompass those in the Rural Development Plan, are spread over four sub-programmes focusing on competitiveness, the environment, the food industry and agri-food research. The overall package totals €8.7 billion over the period of the Plan, of which €2.1 billion will be funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

The agri-food schemes and programmes in the National Development Plan, including REPS, Disadvantaged Areas, Forestry and others, have already been approved by me, and I have recently announced the launch of the Early Retirement and Installation Aid Schemes. I am actively pursuing the approval of the European Commission for the co-funded Rural Development Plan, which covers many of these schemes, and this process is at an advanced stage. Commission approval is also being sought in respect of the fully state-aided measures in the NDP, which require sanction at EU level.

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 374: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a decision will be made on the appeal against the decision of her Department to refuse single payment entitlements to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry under the 2005 national reserve; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18957/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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As outlined in a previous reply to the Deputy, the person named submitted an application for an allocation of entitlements from the 2005 Single Payment Scheme National Reserve under Category C. Category C caters for farmers who sold their milk quota into the Milk Quota Restructuring Scheme and converted their enterprise to 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 to 2002.

The father of the person named sold his milk quota in April 2004 and ceased farming. He leased his farm and any associated Single Payment entitlements to the person named in March 2004. As the person named was neither an active milk producer nor the owner of a milk quota he did not therefore satisfy the criteria for Category C. The person named submitted an appeal against this decision and provided additional documentation in support of his appeal. In all such cases, the procedure is that all contentions put forward in support of an appeal are first of all reviewed within my Department to see whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant any change to the original decision. In this case the documentation was examined by my Department but did not provide grounds for a change to the original decision.

This case was forwarded to the Independent Single Payments Appeals Committee who upheld my Departments decision. However, the person named has requested a review of the decision taken by the Independent Appeals Committee. His request will be put before the next meeting of this Committee and following this meeting the Committee will contact him directly.

The person named also applied for consideration under the 2006 National Reserve under Categories A and B. However, he did not provide sufficient documentation to allow my Department to finalise his application. My Department has been in touch with him and is awaiting the receipt of the required documentation in order to fully process his application. Following processing the person named will be notified directly of the outcome of his 2006 National Reserve application.