Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding an application for the REP scheme for the years 2006 and 2008 for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [44393/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The person named finished his contract in REPS 2 on 30 September 2007 and received all payments due under that contract, and has since applied for REPS 4.

REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007-13 and is subject to different EU Regulations from the preceding versions of REPS. Under REPS 4, all payments are to be made in just two instalments. The first payment, of 75%, can be made only when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the Single Payment Scheme are completed. This is why it has not yet been possible to release payments even to farmers who applied for REPS 4 some time before the closing date of 15 May.

The process of checking and approving applications is subject to a detailed set of procedures designed to meet national and EU audit requirements, and in line with these requirements the various stages of the process are assigned to different grades of staff. An effect of recent industrial action in my Department's local offices was that the process was temporarily interrupted. I am pleased to say that, with the assistance of the Labour Relations Commission, the industrial action was brought to an end and work resumed last week. The administrative checks are now at an advanced stage and I hope that payments of the 75% instalment can start to be released fairly soon. The second instalment of 25% cannot be paid before the last REPS on-farm inspection has taken place.

While I am anxious that the REPS 4 payments should go out as soon as possible, there are of course still over 48,000 farmers in REPS 3, and just under 16,000 of those have anniversary dates on 1 November and 1 December this year. Staff in my Department's local offices are currently engaged in processing the annual payment applications for these farmers as well as the REPS 4 cases. Where possible, payment will issue before Christmas on valid REPS 3 applications (1Cs) returned before 5 December, 2008. At this time of the year the workload of local office staff is therefore exceptionally heavy, and while every effort is being made to release all payments promptly it is not possible to avoid delays entirely. I have asked senior management in my Department to give me regular updates on the situation.

Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when payment of the sugar beet entitlements will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [44413/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Those farmers who held a sugar beet quota during one or more of the years 2001, 2002, 2004 were entitled to have the Single Payment Entitlements topped up. However, as neither of the persons named held such a quota, they were not automatically entitled to have their Single Payment adjusted. The father of the persons named did hold such a quota and he chose to request that his payments be divided equally between the persons named, as provided for under the rules governing the Single Payment Scheme. The process of assigning the sugar beet entitlements proved complex, as both persons named were already participants in the Single Payment Scheme. However, the complex recalculations of the entitlements position of both beneficiaries has now been completed and the payments due to the persons named will issue shortly.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 158: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of REP scheme four applicants paid to date in each county; the total value of payments; the number of applications outstanding; the average processing time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44415/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The number of REPS 4 payments made on a county-by-county basis is as follows:

These payments all relate to applications received in 2007. The total paid to these 163 applicants was €1,122,802.22.

The total number of REPS 4 applications currently recorded on my Department's computer system is approximately 12,700, including those received in 2007. In accordance with the EU Regulations governing the new Rural Development Programme, no payments under REPS 4 have yet been released this year other than those in the Table above. Under these Regulations, all payments are to be made in just two instalments. The first payment, of 75%, can be made only when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the Single Payment Scheme are completed. This is why it has not yet been possible to release payments even to farmers who applied for REPS 4 some time before the closing date of 15 May.

The process of checking and approving applications is subject to a detailed set of procedures designed to meet national and EU audit requirements, and in line with these requirements the various stages of the process are assigned to different grades of staff. An effect of recent industrial action in my Department's local offices was that the process was temporarily interrupted. I am pleased to say that, with the assistance of the Labour Relations Commission, the industrial action was brought to an end and work resumed last week. The administrative checks are now at an advanced stage and I hope that payments of the 75% instalment can start to be released fairly soon. The second instalment of 25% cannot be paid before the last REPS on-farm inspection has taken place.

While I am anxious that the REPS 4 payments should go out as soon as possible, there are of course still over 48,000 farmers in REPS 3, and just under 16,000 of those have anniversary dates on 1 November and 1 December this year. Staff in my Department's local offices are currently engaged in processing the annual payment applications for these farmers as well as the REPS 4 cases. Where possible, payment will issue before Christmas on valid REPS 3 applications (1Cs) returned before 5 December 2008. At this time of the year the workload of local office staff is therefore exceptionally heavy, and while every effort is being made to release all payments promptly it is not possible to avoid delays entirely. I have asked senior management in my Department to give me regular updates on the situation.