Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of the suckler cow scheme for 2011; his views on the scope to realise savings from the operation of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36839/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Payments under the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme in respect of calves born in 2008, 2009 and 2010, whose eligibility for payment has been validated, are made on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The total amount of money that will be paid on the Suckler Cow Scheme can only be determined at the end of the year as these payments continue to be made.

I have also decided to make payments on eligible 2011 born calves and I have has asked farmers, who want to get paid on 2011 born calves before the end of this year, to complete the registration of all of the measures under the Scheme as a priority. Therefore, the 2011 outturn will not be known until the end of the year as payments to farmers will continue into December.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost of the operation of the disadvantaged area compensatory allowance scheme; his views on the scope to realise savings from the operation of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36840/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is not possible to isolate the cost of processing an individual Disadvantaged Areas Scheme payment. Departmental staff are involved in a complex processing system, which in the case of the vast majority of applicants, cover a number of schemes such as the Single Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the Grassland Sheep Scheme, and Agri-Environmental Schemes such as REPS and AEOS. All in all some €1.8 billion is paid annually to over 130,000 farmers.

My Department operates an extremely efficient processing system for the payment of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and other area-based Schemes. Payment is generally made to the vast majority of farmers in the immediate time period following the earliest date for the commencement of payments and places Ireland to the forefront in the EU in terms of early delivery of direct payments. In a study to assess the administrative burden on farms arising from the CAP, consultants employed by the Commission established that Ireland has the lowest administrative cost of the five Member States involved in the study (Germany, Ireland, France, Italy and Denmark).

In 2008 and previous years, payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme were limited to a maximum area of 45 hectares per beneficiary. In 2009 this maximum area was reduced to 34 hectares, due to budgetary constraints. While difficult decisions will have to be taken in light of the situation of the public finances, my approach in preparing the 2012 Estimates for my Department is to focus available resources on the measures, which will reward active farmers, and that will allow us to maintain and grow the productive capacity of the agri-food sector.