Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who have had their agricultural payment delayed due to the digitisation of maps; when this digitisation will be completed; when farmers affected may expect to receive their farm payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39276/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are no delays in payments to farmers under either the Single Farm Payment Scheme (SFP) or the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (DAS). In the case of the Single Farm Payment, the issuing of these advance payments commenced on target and, furthermore, balancing payments also started issuing on target, on 1 December. To date, payments worth in excess of €1.156 billion have issued to 116,776 farmers, representing almost 96% of eligible applicants. All in all, I am satisfied that expenditure under the 2011 SFP will reach €1.2 billion by 31 December. With regard to the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, I am pleased to note that payments worth in excess of €211 million have issued to over 95,500 farmers, representing 95% of eligible applicants, and I remain confident that the full budget for the Scheme will have been exhausted by year-end.

Suggestions have been made that the necessity to redigitise farmers' maps is leading to unnecessary and inordinate delays, resulting in payments being made later than would otherwise be the case. While I can assure the Deputy, and the wider farming community, that I am committed to allocating such resources as is necessary to ensure that the essential digitisation of applicants' maps onto the Department's Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS), I must emphasise that any failings or shortcomings in LPIS would leave the Department open to the very real risk of significant fines. I am not prepared to take such a risk, nor will I compromise the value of direct payments to Irish farmers. Furthermore, sight should not be lost of the fact that the changes which have been recorded onto LPIS in very significant numbers, both throughout last year and again this year, are necessitated by the need to have all ineligible areas mapped; simply put, the position on the ground in any given farm must be accurately reflected on LPIS. To this end, therefore, these changes are, in the majority of cases, changes which were long since over-due.

Where in-house checks reveal anomalies in applicants' applications, the necessary correspondence issues immediately. By replying to all such correspondence as quickly as possible farmers ensure the rapid resolution of issues, thereby allowing their payments to be made. In the specific case of DAS, however, issues arise each year in relation to the required minimum stocking density of applicants' holdings, usually affecting in the region of 10,000 farmers. These are cases where my Department cannot confirm adherence to this requirement through the established computer-based animal systems and, therefore, the individuals concerned are required to submit the necessary hard-copy evidence. Farmers can only do this, obviously, when they are satisfied that they have met this requirement for the requisite three consecutive month period. Therefore, there are DAS applicants, who are not yet paid, not having yet satisfied this requirement, who will ultimately be paid.

I fully appreciate the value and importance of these schemes to Irish farmers and remain committed to ensuring that the maximum numbers are paid at the earliest possible date, mindful, of course, of the over-riding necessity to ensure compliance with the governing EU requirements. I note that Ireland continues to be among the very first of the countries throughout the EU to be in a position to make such payments and perhaps sight should not be lost of this fact.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if REP scheme payments due to farmers will issue before Christmas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39331/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. These checks have now been finalised and the first instalment payments of 75% of the amounts due in respect of 2011 have now issued to over 17,000 scheme participants. Payment of the 25% balancing payments will commence shortly.

I am acutely aware of the financial pressures on many farm families and of the importance of grant and scheme payments to their incomes and cash-flow. Accordingly I have given the highest priority to the processing and payment of all remaining REPS and other scheme payments and to the elimination of all unnecessary delays.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a disadvantaged area payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39334/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 12 May 2011. This application was selected for and was the subject of a Ground Eligibility/Cross Compliance Inspection. This inspection was completed and the application has now been fully processed. Payment under the Single Payment Scheme issued on 1 December 2011 and payment under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme issued on 5 December 2011.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan will receive their REP scheme 4 payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39356/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced REPS 4 in November 2009 and received payments for the first two years of the contract. In addition, 75% of the year 3 payment for 2011 issued on 1 December 2011 for the amount of €5,319.19. I expect that the 25% balancing payment for 2011 applicants will commence shortly.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the outstanding REP scheme 4 payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39381/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named commenced REPS 4 in February 2008 and received payments for the first three years of the contract.

REPS 4 is a measure under the current 2007-13 Rural Development Programme and accordingly is subject to EU Regulation which require detailed administrative checks on all applications to be completed before any payments can issue. These checks have now been completed and a cheque for 75% totalling €6954.38 will issue to the person named in the next few days. I also expect that the 25% balancing payment for 2011 applicants will commence shortly.