Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 438: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive their REP scheme payment. [46172/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Most REPS plans are now prepared using eREPS, the electronic planning system approved and funded by my Department. As the information in these plans is in computerised format, the administrative checks can be carried out quickly. However a substantial minority of plans submitted this year were not prepared using eREPS. Administrative checks on these have to be done manually and are extremely time-consuming.

An effect of recent industrial action in my Department's local offices was that this process was delayed. While normal working has resumed in the local offices following the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission, there is still much to be done before the administrative checks are completed. In these circumstances my Department sought some flexibility from the European Commission which would have allowed payment of those REPS 4 cases which had been fully cleared, but the Commission were not prepared to allow this. As a result, it is now apparent that REPS 4 payments cannot issue before the end of 2008.

While I am anxious that the REPS 4 payments should go out as soon as possible, and my Department will make every effort to facilitate this, 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, and I have asked them to make every effort to issue as many payments as possible before Christmas. I have asked senior management in my Department to give me regular updates on the payment situation.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 439: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be awarded their single payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46188/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the Single Payment Scheme /Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 8th April 2008.

This application was selected for a cross compliance and satellite eligibility inspection. The cross compliance inspection was carried out on 25th June 2008 and the results have been processed. However, the satellite inspection raised a number of issues relating to the parcels claimed by the person named. As a result this file was forwarded for a ground eligibility inspection to clarify the issues. This inspection was carried out on 9th December 2008 and a number of ineligible features have been excluded from the area claimed by the person named. The person named has been informed of the outcome of this inspection. The file is currently being processed and on completion any payment due to the person named will be issued.

Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 440: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding payment of a farm grant to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [46232/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The person named is an applicant under the Farm Improvement Scheme. Applications under this Scheme are being processed by my Department up to the level of funding provided for the Scheme in the 2006 Partnership agreement, Towards 2016.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 441: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when REP scheme three payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46236/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Because of concerns about the eligibility of land declared by the person named for REPS payment, it was necessary to have a full investigation, including a farm inspection in November 2008, to determine if the agri-environmental plan submitted meets the requirements of the REP scheme terms and conditions.

The applicant will be notified as soon as possible of the outcome of the investigation.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 442: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason the area based payment and the single farm payment have not been awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46253/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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While the person named lodged applications under both the 2007 and 2008 Single Payment Schemes, these have not been fully processed, as issues relating to the transfer of entitlements to the person named remain to be resolved.

An application was received on 24 April 2007 requesting the transfer of 48.36 standard entitlements to the person named under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme. As already advised in reply to a previous Question, the person named is registered as a herd-keeper, not as a herd-owner and, as entitlements can only be transferred to persons who are herd-owners, it has not been possible to process this application. The person named has been advised on several occasions of the need to obtain a herd number and has been directed to Galway District Veterinary Office, the body responsible for the issuing of herd numbers for that county. The required documentation was received by my Department on 10 December and is sufficient to allow the person named be designated as the herd owner.

In addition, as the requested transfer is by way of inheritance, the person named has been requested to submit the standard testamentary documentation relating to inheritance. While the person named has supplied documentation concerning his claim to certain lands, requests for copies of Will and Probate or Letters of Administration have received no response. As of this time, all the necessary documentation has not been provided in support of the claim of the person named. On receipt of this documentation, my Department will process the application and will correspond directly with the person named.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 443: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when payment under REP scheme four will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46254/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Most REPS plans are now prepared using eREPS, the electronic planning system approved and funded by my Department. As the information in these plans is in computerised format, the administrative checks can be carried out quickly. However a substantial minority of plans submitted this year were not prepared using eREPS. Administrative checks on these have to be done manually and are extremely time-consuming. An effect of recent industrial action in my Department's local offices was that this process was delayed. While normal working has resumed in the local offices following the intervention of the Labour Relations Commission, there is still much to be done before the administrative checks are completed. In these circumstances my Department sought some flexibility from the European Commission which would have allowed payment of those REPS 4 cases which had been fully cleared, but the Commission were not prepared to allow this. As a result, it is now apparent that REPS 4 payments cannot issue before the end of 2008.

While I am anxious that the REPS 4 payments should go out as soon as possible, and my Department will make every effort to facilitate this, 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, and I have asked them to make every effort to issue as many payments as possible before Christmas.

I have asked senior management in my Department to give me regular updates on the payment situation.

Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 444: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when full payment will be made under the cow welfare scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46256/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Payment of €1,749.88 in respect of twenty-two animals was issued on 12 December 2008. Seventeen animals are showing errors on the animal events dates. One calf will not qualify because its dam calved twice within 300 days during 2008. The remaining thirteen animals have not yet been validated, as no weaning date has been submitted. Staff from the Suckler Herds Section of my Department in Portlaoise will be in contact with the herdowner shortly to seek to resolve the remaining errors.