Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 431: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the lowest and highest payment received in County Kerry under the single farm payment. [33626/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Payments under the Single Payment Scheme are governed by a number of factors: while payment entitlements were initially calculated by reference to scheme participation of individuals during one or more of the three reference years, farmers were subsequently free to trade entitlements, some farmers obtained additional entitlements from the National Reserve, others forfeited entitlements to the National Reserve because of non-usage, while others were awarded entitlements following the incorporation of the Dairy Premium and compensation granted to sugar beet growers following the EU Reform of the Sugar Sector. In respect of payments made under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme to County Kerry applicants, the highest amount paid was €170,173.65 while the lowest amount was paid €8.25.

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 432: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a single farm payment for 2007 will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33650/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 15 May 2007. As part of the control procedures under EU rules governing the Scheme, the application was selected for an on-farm inspection, during the course of which discrepancies were found in relation to seven of the land parcels declared by the person named. As a result of this discrepancy, the claimed area of 122.92 hectares was reduced to 87.37 hectares, in line with the EU rules governing the scheme. Where the total area found is not sufficient to support the number of entitlements held, appropriate penalties must be applied; in this case, while the found area was 87.37 hectares, the number of entitlements held by the person named is 114.91, therefore, the appropriate penalty was applied viz as the difference between the area declared and the area found is more than 20%, under EU Regulations, no payment is due.

A request to review the findings of the eligibility inspection was received from the person named on 21 July 2008. This review is currently being considered and the person named will be informed of the outcome shortly. If the person named is not satisfied with the outcome of the review, he then has the right to appeal the outcome of the review to the Agriculture Appeals Office.