Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 444: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive their single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32453/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2011 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 4 May 2011, following processing of which over-claims on three of the parcels declared by the person named were identified. The person named was written to regarding this matter and responded on 20 October. The application is now being further processed with a view to appropriate payment issuing at an early date.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 445: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive their single farm payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32456/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2011 Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 29 April 2011, processing of which is now complete, thereby allowing payment to issue in the coming days.

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 446: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when mapping for the single payment scheme and disadvantaged area scheme was outsourced; the duration of the contract awarded; the company to which it was awarded; and the location said company is based. [32537/11]

Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 447: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that alterations to maps are being made quickly enough by the outsourced mapping company for the purposes of the single payment scheme and disadvantaged area schemes; and if any stipulations on the speed and efficiency of the digitisation of maps was included in the contract entered into. [32538/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 446 and 447 together.

The maintenance of the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) is a complex matter. All issues relating to the digitising of land parcels and all other features has been carried out by an outside contractor since was established in Ireland shortly after the introduction of direct payments. The process also involves the review of aerial ortho-imagery and the resultant digitising of ineligible features. The database is also used for identification of special features, landscape features etc. The maps submitted by applicants are vitally important documents and it is important that they are not mislaid and are digitised. The changes illustrated in the maps must be accurately digitised onto the Department's Land Parcel Identification System, which must be kept updated, and farmers paid accordingly. These direct payments amount to €1.7 billion annually.

Mallon Technology Ltd, Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, currently carries out, the digitising work. This company has played a major role in assisting my Department meet very ambitious payment deadlines since the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme including advance payments to the vast majority of farmers in each of the six years when such advance payment was approved by the EU Commission. Mallon Technology Ltd was selected following the conclusion of an open Invitation to Tender Procedure conducted in line with Public Procurement procedures. Tenders have been invited on a three yearly basis with provision for an annual review. The next Invitation to Tender Procedure will take place in 2012.

I am satisfied with the speed and efficiency of the work carried out on maps submitted by applicants under the Single Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and all of the other area-based Schemes and it is carried out with the essential accuracy required and as quickly as possible given the complexity involved. Ireland is to the forefront in delivering these direct payments at the earliest dates possible under EU regulations.

At present, there are over 1.25 million land parcels on the LPIS spatial database. In any one year, the number of parcels that are subjected to alteration generally exceeds 250,000 parcels. There are different requirements for each of the area-based schemes and these are subject to regular changes following amendments to EU Regulations and following the findings of EU auditors. In addition, the technical requirements are set-out by DG Agri and the European Commission's Joint Research Centre are also constantly updated and made more exacting. The quality of the digitising work carried out for my Department by the named company has never been called into question during any of those audits. It is important to note that digitising is a complicated process and requires specially trained staff with related skills to undertake the digitising of land parcels.