Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2009 and received full payment for the first year of their contract. In addition, 75% of their second year payment issued on 23rd February 2011 for the amount of €7,364.54.

An area based discrepancy was subsequently discovered following a cross check between the SPS application for 2010 from the person named and the REPS agri-environmental plan which has resulted in the imposition of a penalty and a delay in processing the final 25% payment under REPS 4 for 2010. My Department is currently making arrangements to process the outstanding 25% payments to farmers in instances where penalties have been imposed. These outstanding payments will commence in the next week or so.

Arrangements are also well advanced to issue payments in respect of 2011 and I expect that these payments will commence in November.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 482: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there is a delay in digitising maps for a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the steps he proposes to take to rectify this issue in view of the fact that the processing of an agri-environment option scheme application is being delayed as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31150/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from 1st November 2010.

Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue. Subsequent to submitting his application to participate in the scheme, the person named submitted an amendment to the areas applied for under AEOS which required the re-digitisation of land parcels. However, he did not submit the map which is required setting out the situation. My Department has now requested the person named to submit a map and, when it is received, will proceed with the re-digitisation and the processing of payment as quickly as possible.