Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join colleagues who have raised the issue of farm payments. We have all received calls over recent weeks from farmers who are waiting patiently for this payment. It would appear that the problems are the same as those we had last year. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine should move to resolve those problems finally and not be holding up the payments. The problem could be resolved if the Department paid out 70% of the payments to all farmers, regardless of whether they had a problem. It would have 30% held back and if there was a difficulty it could recoup any re-claims made.

This is a very difficult time of year for farmers because contractors who do work over the summer are paid now and the farmers must make provision for the winter. It is vitally important to make sure they get their payments. Young farmers who started off in 2015 are due a payment now and would have made quite an investment in leasing land and setting up in their farming enterprise. It is unfair to leave them hanging out, waiting for a payment, coming up to Christmas.