Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 480: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding persons who have had inspections carried out in cross compliance; the reason these persons have not been paid any of their moneys under the single farm payment and disadvantaged area schemes to date; if the inspectors' reports have been furnished in order to allow such payments to be effected; the reason there has been a failure to make part payments to such persons, who may well have a small issue which may incur a penalty of 5% for non-compliance and in such a situation the reason the remainder of the moneys has not been paid; the steps he will take to address this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39724/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Under EU regulations governing the Disadvantaged Areas' Scheme and the Single Payments Scheme all ground eligibility inspections must be completed before any payment can issue to any applicant under either scheme, including those not selected for a ground eligibility inspection. On the other hand cross-compliance inspections may be carried out within the calendar year and do not hold up payment. Any undue payment detected as a result of a cross-compliance inspection can subsequently be recovered from the applicant.

In 2010 some 3,500 farmers were selected for ground eligibility inspections and all of these inspections were completed in advance of the first payments made under the Disadvantaged Areas' Scheme and the Single Payment Scheme. A further 4,200 inspections were conducted by remote sensing without the need to visit the farm. In the vast majority of cases that were inspected, amendments have had to be made to the maps in order that the Land Parcel Identification System that is used for making payments to farmers is kept up-to-date. Processing of these changes is continuing with priority being given to applications that were the subject of a ground eligibility inspection.

My Department has received 123,000 applications under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme and 102,000 applications under the Disadvantaged Areas' Scheme. When processing is completed it is expected that over 70,000 of these will have required the digitising of maps as a result of changes submitted by farmers. This compares with an average of 22,000 digitising changes required in previous years.

With regard to the Single Payment Scheme, the total number of farmers paid since payments commenced less than two weeks ago is 108,845 farmers with an amount totalling €507.67 million. A further 1,046 farmers have their applications processed but payment cannot be made as the amount is less than €100. The number of farmers paid under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is 88,478 with the total amount paid at €169.7 million. There are a further 25,363 farmers, who have been partially paid. These will be paid their balancing payment as their cases are fully processed and cleared.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 481: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason a person (details supplied) has not received full payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39763/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 10 May 2010. Payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced on 22 September, with an advance payment of 75 per cent issuing in respect of 9.53 hectares amounting to €686.06. A deduction of €94.07 in respect of an overpayment relating to an overclaim of area under the 2009 Disadvantaged Areas application was recouped from this payment. This application is now fully processed and full payment has issued.