Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to ensure that farmers who have enquiries regarding the single farm payment will receive a prompt reply; if adequate staffing resources have been provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41241/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of letters issued to farmers in relation to stocking density issues under the disadvantaged areas scheme; the number of applications for derogation received to date; the number granted; the number queried; the number refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41578/12]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated savings calculated by his Department for estimates purposes from the changes in the disadvantaged area scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41579/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 449, 465 and 466 together.

The budgeted expenditure under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was reduced from €220 million to €190 million. In order to make the necessary savings it was proposed to make technical adjustments to the Scheme criteria to ensure that the aid payment is focused on farmers whose farming enterprises are situated primarily in DAS areas and who are making a significant contribution to achieving the objectives of the Scheme, which are defined in the governing EU legislation as follows: To ensure continued agricultural land use and thereby contribute to the maintenance of a viable rural community; To maintain the countryside; To maintain and promote sustainable farming systems which, in particular, take account of environmental protection measures.

Processing of high volume application schemes, such as the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the Single Payment Scheme, require significant hands-on from the management teams and a willingness and ability to focus resources on the varying priorities that arise throughout the process. One very important element of the process is dealing with the many and varied enquiries from applicants, by telephone, letter, email or on-line. The 2012 processing campaign is currently well advanced, with the necessary arrangements in place to deal with farmers’ queries. The record number of applications submitted on-line in 2012 has further contributed to the smoother processing of applications.

While changes were introduced in respect of the minimum stocking density requirements, specific provision was made for those farmers who had a stocking density less than 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011, where that lower stocking density was as a result of adherence to a recognised agri-environmental measure. The principles of force majeure/exceptional circumstances were also provided for in the process. Provision was also be made for new entrants to farming.

All 10,046 applicants, whose stocking density was below 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011, were written to formally and given the opportunity to apply for a derogation on the grounds that his or her participation in such an agri-environmental measure resulted in the lower stocking density. The Department is currently working on those applicants who applied for derogation, good progress has been made to date with many already paid. All applicants are being advised, in writing, of the success or otherwise of their application. Those unsuccessful applicants are being afforded the opportunity of appeal to the DAS Derogation Appeals Committee. This Committee, to be chaired by Padraig Gibbons, is to be constituted shortly, to adjudicate on those further appeals from farmers dissatisfied with Department decisions on their derogation applications.

Payments under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme started issuing, on schedule, on 26 September 2012 and, to date, payments worth in the region of €159 million have issued; these payment levels are very much in line with previous years. Included in this figure are payments to a sizeable number of farmers who successfully applied for derogation from the revised stocking density requirement, included as part of the range of technical adjustments necessitated by budgetary requirements. Payments will continue to issue as individual cases are confirmed eligible for payment.