Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of single farm payment applications for 2010 still awaiting approval; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45179/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that the balancing payments under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme have begun issuing today, in line with the very ambitious payments targets I set for my Department in early October and especially given the huge task that has been ongoing throughout the year, designed to get our mapping system fully accurate and up to date. I am confident that, by year-end, payments to farmers will have exceeded €1.3 billion under the Single Payment and the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. Payments will continue to be made to processed cases as they are cleared. By any measure, achieving such payment levels, while simultaneously undertaking the extremely onerous task of tackling the mapping database, is a tremendous achievement.

At the moment, there are some 6,000 cases awaiting payment. This means that my Department has made payments to more than 95% of all applicants. It should be borne in mind that the balancing payments only commenced today, which is the first day that payments can commence under the Single Payment Scheme, unless like in Ireland's case, EU approval is granted to make an advance payment. There is a further payment run today and frequent payment runs until all payments are issued. The vast majority of the non-paid cases are fully processed and cannot be paid as they are in error. In some cases, my Department is waiting a response to letters issued in September.

The momentum in digitising outstanding cases will be maintained, with the very firm intention of all remaining payments issuing at the earliest possible stage, with every effort continuing to be made to have all remaining payments issue as soon as possible.