Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair for allowing me to come in as a non-member of the committee. I appreciate the opportunity, and I thank the Minister and his officials also for the information they have provided.

As the Minister knows, I received a reply to a parliamentary question from him last week in respect of the number of farmers awaiting the ACRES payment. I was quite shocked and astonished to learn that more than 28,084 farmers across the State still await their payments. In my own constituency of Clare, that is 1,984 farmers who have yet to be paid. I cannot overstate the frustration locally. As the Minister knows, farmers are the backbone of this country. It was the farmers who got us out of the recession and now they feel they are being left out to dry.

It is essential that these farmers receive their payments as soon as possible. I cannot understand it. I know the Minister has cited IT issues, that it is disappointing and that the Department is still working on that. However, there are serious implications for rural mental health and the sustainability of Irish agriculture at play here and 100% payments must be issued in early February at the latest. Quite frankly, it is as simple as that. Although we are saying that we cannot get enough young farmers into the sector, at the same time they are watching these significant delays and seeing first-hand the impact it is having on farmers in their local community.

To touch on that, I raised the issue of looking at whether the Department could pay the interest that has accrued for these farmers in respect of their banks and suppliers, which they have watched climb upwards. The Minister also told me in a reply to a parliamentary question that the Department would not be paying interest on these late ACRES payments and I ask that he seriously reconsider that. Farmers were at breaking point at or before Christmas time. I note that I met a delegation from Clare IFA and one of the gentlemen at that meeting pointed out to me that he was aware of a farmer who was one day late with his application and so he had missed a deadline. Yet, the Department is months behind the payment deadlines and with no issue. It cannot be one rule for the applicants and another for the Department. I would be very grateful if the Minister could tell me the steps he has taken or plans to take to ensure that this situation does not arise again when the next round of ACRES applications or renewals need to be processed and paid out.

The Minister can come in there if he wants but I have two other points to mention.