Mr. Paul Dillon:

It all depends on the number of appeals that we receive. We will set up the process straightaway and write to all of the affected farmers. As soon as they receive our letter they can lodge their appeal, if necessary. We will make every effort to get them processed in time for the closing date of 15 May. Even if the cases are not fully concluded at that stage we advise farmers to apply for the ANC scheme anyway. We will have the work done by the time we reach the payment date so they will not lose out. It is easier to do that than for them to not apply, which would create a problem with the EU because the farmers would not have committed to abiding by the terms and conditions of the scheme.

I wish to mention another matter that we have not mentioned. The new regulation requires us to have an element of what the EU calls "a degressive payment" but what we call front-loading. Therefore, one must pay a higher rate for the first number of hectares than in each of the tiers. We have not settled on the first amount of hectares. Let us say it is ten hectares, for example. The new regulation means that one must pay more for the first ten hectares per farmer than one does for the rest, and we are required to apply that aspect to each of the three categories. That clause did not exist for all of the categories before this.