Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 401: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the outstanding agri environment option scheme payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39968/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 2) with effect from 1 September 2011. 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. These checks are currently under way and in the event of any queries arising my Department will be in direct contact with the person named. I expect to commence payments in the first quarter of 2012.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 402: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the outstanding agri environment option scheme payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39969/11]

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 the 1 September 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, had to be completed before any payment could issue. The person named was also randomly selected for an on farm inspection. These checks have now been successfully completed and payment will issue shortly.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 403: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the outstanding single farm payment and disadvantaged area payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39970/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2011 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 6 May 2011, processing of which has recently been finalised, thereby allowing payments under both Schemes to issue directly to the nominated bank account of the person named in the coming days.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 404: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the outstanding agri environment option scheme payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39971/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The person named was approved for participation in the 2011 Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS 2) with effect from September 2011. 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. These checks are currently under way and in the event of any queries arising my Department will be in direct contact with the person named. I expect to commence payments in the first quarter of 2012.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 405: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the outstanding single farm and disadvantaged area payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39972/11]

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 6 May 2011, following processing of which over-claims were identified on two of the land parcels declared. The applicant has been written to in this regard and, on receipt of a satisfactory reply, the application will be further processed with a view to the appropriate payments issuing immediately thereafter.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 406: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm the number of persons in County Monaghan who have received their disadvantaged area payment; the number who are still awaiting payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39978/11]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 409: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons in County Cavan who have received their disadvantaged area payment; the number who are still awaiting payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39981/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 409 together.

The following tabular statement shows the position regarding applications and payments to herd-owners in counties Monaghan and Cavan under the 2011 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme:

There are no delays in payments to farmers under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, in relation to which there is no regulatory payment date – however, it is generally recognised and indeed acknowledged in the Farmers' Charter, that a payment target of late September of the year in question is the most realistic.

Payments commenced, on target, on 22 September, with payments issuing to those farmers whose applications had been confirmed eligible for payment at that time. I can confirm that my Department has, in the interim, continued to pay individuals, as their cases became clear, with payment runs taking place twice a week. This is normal practise and will continue on an ongoing basis, as necessary. In this regard, while I am pleased to note that payments worth in excess of €212 million have issued to date, representing over 93% of applicants, I remain confident that the full budget for the Scheme will have been exhausted by year-end.

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.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 407: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm the number of persons in County Monaghan who have received their single farm payment; the number who are still awaiting payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39979/11]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 408: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of people in County Cavan who have received their single farm payment, the number who are still awaiting payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39980/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 407 and 408 together.

Earlier this year, mindful of the difficulties caused for farmers by the current financial crisis and also being acutely aware of the significance to the wider rural economy of the Single Payment, I successfully sought the approval of the Commissioner to have advance payments made. I am pleased to say that these payments started issuing, on target, on Monday, 17 October. To date, payments worth in excess of €1.162 billion have issued nationally to over 117,202 farmers, representing over 95% of eligible applicants. The following tabular statement shows the position regarding applications and payments to herd-owners in counties Monaghan and Cavan under the 2011 Single Payment Scheme:

As is clear, while the timing of all direct aid payments to farmers is crucial, it is the Single Farm Payment that is of most importance to farmers, given that it represents in excess of €1.2 billion of the €1.7 billion that is paid out in direct aid. The SFP forms a significant part of the annual income of all farmers in Ireland, in many cases is used to subsidise the running costs of the farming enterprise and is, therefore, greater than the net farm income.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 410: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a single farm and disadvantaged area payment will issue to persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39993/11]

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 6 May 2011. This application was selected for and was the subject of a Ground Eligibility Inspection. This inspection was completed and the application has now been fully processed. Payment under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme issued on the 9 December 2011 and payment under the Single Payment Scheme will issue within the coming days.