Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants for various farm schemes that are being delayed due to problems with digitisation; the average length of time it takes once a difficulty is identified to having the application re-digitised and approved for payment; if he will consider issuing payment to all outstanding claimants in these circumstances with a view to rectifying possible over claimants in their next grant application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37274/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), which records details of all land declared under all the area-based schemes, must be fully accurate and up to date, given the fact that it underpins total expenditure under these schemes of in excess of €1.8 billion annually. Consequently the system must be updated to take account of changes to areas submitted by farmers. Any failings or shortcomings in the LPIS would constitute a breach of the Integrated Administrative and Control System provided for under European Union legislation and would leave my Department open to the very real risk of significant EU fines. Such a risk which cannot be countenanced as it could compromise the value of direct payments to farmers.

Farmers submit maps to my Department to facilitate re-digitising, in order to have various ineligible features, such as buildings, roadways, farmyards, etc, properly recorded on the LPIS. The changes made to the LPIS on foot of the maps submitted by farmers is one of the three main methods used to update the spatial data, the other two being changes identified during ground and remote sensing inspections and changes identified during my Department's internal review of ortho-photography. It is essential that the necessary amendments identified be made, on an ongoing basis, to accurately reflect the position on the ground.

It must also be remembered that under EU rules, the earliest permissible date for payment under the Single Payment Scheme is actually the 1st of December. This year I made a special case to the European Commission securing agreement to make an advance payment of 50% from 17 October. This is the sixth successive year that Ireland had paid an advance of the Single Farm Payment, an achievement, which is unprecedented. There is no doubt that Ireland is one of the first Member States to release Single Payment funding and the record of my Department in processing applications since the introduction of the Single Payment Scheme in 2005 and making advance payments is equal to the best record of any Member State.

It is not possible under legislation governing the payment of aid under the area based schemes to make payments to any cases that are not fully processed and clear. That said, however, payments of the 50% advance of the SFP as well as payments under all other area based schemes are continuing apace.

Since payments under the Single Payment Scheme started on 17 October, over €576 million has issued to over 114,000 amounting to some 93% of all eligible applicants. In addition, payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commenced, on target, on 22 September and, to date, payments worth €208 million have issued to over 94,000 farmers, representing 94% of eligible applicants. Every effort continues to be made to maximise the numbers of payments being made and, in this regard, I would again urge any farmer who has been written to regarding an issue which is delaying payment, to respond without delay. I can also confirm that arrangements are well advanced to allow balancing payments under the Single Payment Scheme commence issuing on target, as and from 1 December.