Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)
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Question 936: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason for the delay in the rural environment protection scheme payments in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; when payment will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10985/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The first phase of the REPS 4 payment issued to the person named on 23 March.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 937: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a farm improvement scheme grant will be awarded in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10987/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned is an applicant under the Farm Improvement Scheme. My Department is currently processing his application and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 938: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a farm waste management grant will be awarded in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10988/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the deferred amount will be made to farmers whose Farm Waste Management grants have been partially deferred. This payment will be made in January 2011 along with the final instalment. My Department is currently examining the application of the person named above and a decision will be made shortly.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 940: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a REP scheme four will be issued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11010/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The first phase of the REPS 4 payment issued to the person named on 5 March.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 941: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a farm waste management grant will be issued in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11011/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the deferred amount will be made to farmers whose Farm Waste Management grants have been partially deferred. This payment will be made in January 2011 along with the final instalment. Payment of the first instalment of 40 per cent was made to the person concerned on 10 March 2009.

Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 942: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding an application lodged on 30 December 2008 under the farm waste management scheme in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Roscommon. [11049/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the deferred amount will be made to farmers whose Farm Waste Management grants have been partially deferred. This payment will be made in January 2011 along with the final instalment.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 943: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payment in respect of REP scheme four; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11067/09]

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 EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before the first payments issue. The first payments for 2008 REPS 4 applications issued in the last week of January to those whose applications required no correction following the administrative checks. Further payments continue to be made as applications are cleared. Queries have arisen during the administrative checks on the plan of the person named and it is currently under further examination.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 944: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be granted their cattle headage, single farm payment and disadvantaged payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11068/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2008 Single Payment Scheme / Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 12 May 2008.

One of the primary provisions of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is that applicants must maintain a minimum stocking density on their holding of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare for at least three consecutive months. However, where the holding of an applicant is identified as potentially not meeting this minimum stocking density requirement, the applicant is invited to submit evidence of satisfactory stocking i.e. Flock Register, Horse passports.

As no satisfactory evidence of stock was received from the person named, no payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is due to him. With regard to the Single Payment scheme, while the person named had established 55.11 entitlements, he only declared 54.69 hectares on his 2008 application form, which was duly processed on that basis. An advance payment of €479.03 issued on 16 October 2008 and the balancing payment, €479.03 issued on 1 December 2008. The person named has received his full Single Payment.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 945: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will confirm that an application under REP scheme four is in order in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; when payment can be expected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11069/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The first phase of the REPS 4 payment issued to the person named on 11 March.

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 946: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [11080/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The arrangements for payment of grants under the Farm Waste Management Scheme on a phased basis have been confirmed with 40 per cent being paid this year as claims are approved. A further 40 per cent will be paid in early January 2010 and the remaining 20 per cent in January 2011. I have also announced that a special ex-gratia payment not exceeding 3.5 per cent of the value of the deferred amount will be made to farmers whose Farm Waste Management grants have been partially deferred. This payment will be made in January 2011 along with the final instalment.

Payment of the first instalment of 40 per cent was made to the person concerned on 10 March 2009.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 947: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be granted REP scheme four. [11086/09]

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 EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before the first payments issue. The first payments for 2008 REPS 4 applications issued in the last week of January to those whose applications required no correction following the administrative checks. Further payments continue to be made as applications are cleared.

Queries have arisen during the administrative checks on the plan of the person named and it is currently under further examination.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 948: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be granted REP scheme four. [11087/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The first phase of the REPS 4 payment will issue to the person named within the next ten days.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 981: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the final payment will be made to pork suppliers under the agreement reached following the recent pork crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11728/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 949 and 981 together.

The agreement concluded with pig processors in December involves making available a facility of €180 million from the public finances to assist processors in funding the recall and destruction of certain pork products from the market and product in storage.

To date my Department has paid a total of €42m to processors as interim payments and will continue to facilitate early settlement of claims subject, of course, to proper control and verification. As claims continue to arise, it is too early to say when final payment under the Scheme will be made.