Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree that this is a really important issue, and it is also a real disappointment that we have not been able to pay people before now. That has a real impact on farmers who are waiting for it because they are significant payments and really important to farmers. Last year was the first year for all of the new schemes, so everything had to start from scratch, including applications and all of the systems to run them. It was new for farmers too, and all of the actions as well, so it was a really difficult year.

Across the vast majority of the payments, we met the dates we set and had over 90% paid. By the end of the year, across basic income and all of that, the vast majority, or up to 97% or 98% of farmers were paid and likewise across many of the other schemes. The one scheme that has proved a particular challenge is ACRES, and no doubt the fact that I accepted all 46,000 into it last year, rather than the 30,000 that had been budgeted for, put extra pressure on too. Certainly, we did not want to be in a situation where the payments were not made in December and were running into February but that would be better than over a third of those who participated not getting any payment for last year. That is the difference of being paid in February or December.

This is something I want to sort out. It is something the team is working really hard on. Once we get it right, sorted, operating and the payments issuing - and the co-operation payments in particular - then we will be into the second year, and we are in a different scenario because it will have been done for the first year. It will be a case of rinse and repeat. Obviously it is still a big job but one will be doing it for a second time, and using the systems that worked the first time.

The particular challenge around the co-operation project aspect is the blended scores and the blended payment, therefore, for numbers of different parcels on one farm. That has proved a challenge with regard to delivering the system and ensuring that gets paid out. The team is working on it, and it is a key priority. I absolutely acknowledge the importance of that payment, and the farmers are very much looking forward to it.