Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is all about choices. When we opened the scheme, we took in every applicant, some 13,000 extra. We could have taken in half of them or less and paid everybody the full amount, instead of taking in everybody and managing the payments in order that they would all be paid. In the calendar year 2017 farmers will receive some of their 2016 payment and some of their 2017 payment. The numbers in the latest tranche have gone up from 38,000 to over 50,000 and I felt it was better to take in every applicant and pay as many as possible. I acknowledge that we are having difficulty in getting all of the payments out, but I think we are making the right choice because we are getting as many beneficiaries as possible into the scheme.