Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 321: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when single farm payment and REP scheme payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [47207/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The herd-number previously held in the sole name of the person named was transferred into the joint names of the person named and another person on 20 February 2010. To qualify for payment under the Single Payment Scheme, the Single Payment entitlements should also be transferred from the sole name of the person named into joint names.

My Department issued letters on 14 April 2010 to the parties concerned that outlined the need to transfer the Single Payment entitlements and indicated that no payment could issue until the transfer of entitlements was completed. A Transfer of Entitlements form was enclosed. To date no reply has been received from the parties concerned and consequently no payment has issued.

An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 11 May 2010. The application form was signed by the person named only. As the herdnumber was in joint names at the time of application, the application form needed to be signed by each of the joint herd-owners. My Department has written to both joint herd-owners regarding this matter. On receipt of a satisfactory reply, the application will be further processed.

The REPS application belonging to the person named cannot be progressed until the issue with their SPS application outlined above are dealt with.

Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 322: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the balance due on single farm payment and disadvantaged area payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [47208/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received from the person named on 8 April 2010. The 50% advance payment under the Single Payment Scheme, which issued on 18 October, the further 30% payment under the same Scheme, which issued on 1 December, as well as the 75% advance payment under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme which issued on 21 September, were on the basis of those parcels cleared for payment at that stage, as a number of other land parcels listed on the application of the person named required re-digitisation. This process is now complete and the application is being processed, with a view to the further payments due issuing shortly.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 323: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will receive their single farm payments and area aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47221/10]

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 13 May 2010. The 75% advance payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the 50% advance payment under the Single Payment Scheme, which issued on 21 September and 18 October 2010 respectively, were on the basis of the land cleared at that stage, as a number of parcels declared required digitising.

Balancing payments under the scheme, would, in normal circumstances, be confined to those whose applications are fully processed, specifically, where all digitising is finalised. However, following recent consultation with the EU Commission, agreement was reached whereby, in addition to issuing balancing payments to those farmers whose applications are fully processed and whose maps are fully digitised, payments will also issue to those farmers where some or all of their maps are still to be digitised, with the payment being calculated on the basis of the digitised land confirmed otherwise eligible.

I am pleased to say that, because of this change, many farmers, including the person named, whose balancing payments would otherwise have been delayed until their digitising is complete, have now received an interim balancing payment; in the case of the person named, the interim balancing payment issued on 1 December.

These farmers, including the person named, will receive the final instalment of their balancing payment when their maps are re-digitised and their applications are fully clear.

Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 324: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the balance due on a single farm payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [47227/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 30 April 2010. Payments under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme have commenced nationally on 18 October 2010. The application from the person named was submitted with land parcels identified as requiring re-digitisation. My Department has now completed this process.

The advance, interim and final balancing payments under the Single Payment Scheme were made to the person named on 18 October 2010, 1 December 2010 and 8 December 2010 respectively. The person named has now been paid in full.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will receive the balance of their area aid and single payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47230/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Area Scheme was received from the person named on 26 April 2010. The 50% advance payment under the Single Payment Scheme, which issued on 18 October, the further 30% payment under the same Scheme, which issued on 1 December, as well as the 75% advance payment under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme which issued on 13 September, were on the basis of those parcels cleared for payment at that stage, as a number of other land parcels listed on the application of the person named required re-digitisation. This process is now complete and the application is being processed, with a view to the further payments due issuing shortly.

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 12 May 2010. A number of the land parcels listed on the application required re-digitisation. Following completion of this digitising, one of the parcels was identified as being over-claimed. The applicant was written to in this regard on 23 September and a reply to this letter was received on 10 December. This issue has now been resolved and payments due under the Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme will issue shortly.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 327: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will receive their single farm payments and area aid payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47242/10]

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 17 May 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a Ground Eligibility and Animal Identification Inspection.

The inspection process is complete and the results are now being processed.

Under EU regulations governing the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the Single Payment 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.

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.

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 13 May 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a Ground Eligibility and Animal Identification Inspection.

The inspection process is complete and the results are now being processed.

Under EU regulations governing the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the Single Payment 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.

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.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 329: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive their REP scheme 4 payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47245/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The EU Regulations governing REPS 4 and other area-based schemes provide that payments issue in two instalments. The first instalment of 75% may be paid once all administrative checks on all applications, as well as cross-checks against areas declared on Single Payment Scheme applications, have been completed. These checks have now been completed and payment will issue to the person named within 10 working days. The balancing payment of 25% can issue once all on-the-spot inspections for the year have taken place and these will be completed shortly.

John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 330: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive their payment under REP scheme; the reason for the delay in making payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47291/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and accordingly is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. Queries have arisen during the administrative checks on the plan of the person named which have required further examination. Officials in my Department are currently examining this file and will shortly be in contact with the person named.

Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) will receive their single farm payment and disadvantaged area aid payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47301/10]

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 7 May 2010. This application was selected for and was the subject of a Ground Eligibility and Animal Identification Inspection.

The inspection process is complete and the results are now being processed.

Under EU regulations governing the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the Single Payment 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.

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.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 332: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when an area aid payment will be paid in full to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47314/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 29 April 2010. The 50% advance payment under the Single Payment Scheme, which issued on 18 October and the further 30% payment under the same Scheme, which issued on 1 December, were on the basis of those parcels cleared for payment at that stage, as a number of other land parcels listed on the application of the person named required re-digitisation. This process is now complete and the application is being further processed, with a view to the balancing payment due issuing shortly.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will be paid the balance of their area aid and single payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47315/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Under the provisions of the governing EU Regulations, payments under the Single Farm Payment may be made only in respect of eligible land and applicants under the Scheme are obliged annually to declare to my Department the land parcels available to them. Details of the eligible area of the land parcels are recorded on my Department's Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). It is also necessary for applicants to exclude ineligible features such as scrub, roadways, etc. Therefore, the LPIS database has to be amended on an ongoing basis to reflect any permanent changes such as parcel boundary changes, addition of new parcels, etc. In the vast majority of cases, applicants make sufficient deductions for the ineligible features.

The person named was found to have claimed fully on parcels which contained buildings. As buildings are ineligible under the Scheme, the person named was found to have been over-paid and he was advised accordingly, in writing. These over-payment amounts were fully recouped from the payments due to the person named under both the 2010 Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Area Scheme.