Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the extent to which single farm payments have been met to date; the extent to which administrative procedures have been eased or intensified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27511/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the 2007 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, 105,706 potentially eligible claims have been identified. Payments under the Scheme commenced on 20 September 2007, and so far 96,658 (nearly 92%) of cases have been fully paid a total of €240.2 million. Payments continue to issue twice weekly, as further cases subsequently become clear.

Under EU legislation, Member States may commence payment under the Single Payment Scheme on 1 December of the year of application. In exceptional circumstances, a Member State may apply to the European Commission to be allowed to make an advance payment on 16th October. Taking account of the exceptionally bad weather conditions throughout Ireland this summer I applied to the European Commission to allow an advance of the Single Farm Payment on 16th October. The European Commission accepted the case I put forward and legislated for a 50% advance payment to eligible applicants clear for payment on 16th October.

Advance payments to applicants with clear applications commenced on that date. The position now is that €557.8 million has been paid to over 117,078 applicants (over 92% of total eligible applicants). The remainder are not as yet clear for payment. Delays in processing the unclear cases can be caused by many factors, including incomplete application forms, errors on applications and discrepancies highlighted following computer validation, which include dual claims/over-claims etc. and are generally resolved via correspondence with the applicant.

The on-going objective of my Department is to make payments to all of those farmers, who have yet to receive their advance payment as soon as their cases are cleared for payment. In many cases, my Department is still awaiting documentation that will facilitate the processing of applications for payment. A number of payment runs continue to be made each week as cases are cleared.

In accordance with EU legislation balancing payments to eligible applicants with clear applications will commence on 1st December. In so far as administrative procedures are concerned, it is certainly the case that these are less onerous than was the case under the schemes in place prior to the Single Payment. Scheme. Nevertheless I have been keenly aware of the need to minimise the administrative burden on applicants for the Single Payment Scheme and to make the Single Payment application process as straight forward as possible within the constraints of the provisions of EU Legislation. Each year my Department provides applicants for the Single Payment Scheme with pre printed application forms containing the most up to date information available at the time of issue. The pre printed information is taken from the applicant's application for the previous year and takes account of updates to that application during the year. Applicants are requested to carefully check the information provided and made any amendments necessary before returning their application forms.

My Department is committed to easing administrative procedures for applicants under the Single Payment Scheme and undertook a major pilot project for on-line applications in 2007. Farmers may apply directly themselves or via Teagasc or other approved agents. The response was encouraging and in excess of 7,000 applications were received on-line. A major advantage from the applicant's point of view is that the validation procedure in place reduces the number of queries arising in relation to on-line applications compared to paper applications thereby facilitating the processing of such applications for payment. I am anxious that as many applicants as possible will avail of the on-line facility in 2008 and my Department will mount a major promotional and information campaign early in the new year to encourage farmers to submit their 2008 applications on-line. There is no doubt that administrative procedures are eased for those who avail of the on-line application facility and I would urge as many farmers as possible to use it in 2008.

At EU level discussions are ongoing in respect of European Commission proposals aimed at simplifying the Single Payment Scheme. Ireland supports elements of the proposals including the reduction of set-aside to zero in 2008 and the abolition of the 10 month retention period for land which if adopted will result in a simplification of administrative procedures for Single Payment Scheme applicants in 2008. My Department has made a number of submissions to the EU Commission suggesting additional alterations, which, if accepted, would further simplify the operation of the Single Payment Scheme for farmers.