Mr. Paul Savage:

We wrote to farmers in early 2024 in the context of preparing an interim payment for those who had not received a payment at the end of 2023. When we were making those interim payments, we wrote to every farmer three times. We first wrote to tell them about the problems in the payment system, that they were affected by them and that this was the solution we were proposing. We then wrote to them at the point in time at which the interim payment was made, explaining what the amount was, the fact that their ACRES payments would be calculated in the normal way in due course and that, when it was calculated, it might be higher or lower than the €4,000 or €5,000 we gave them as an interim payment. We were clear to farmers about what we were doing. When we calculated the actual ACRES payments and began issuing them in June, we got back to farmers to tell them the exact situation as regards their ACRES calculation, how it compared to their interim payment and the situation they were left in as regards overpayment or otherwise. We communicated very extensively with the affected farmers. At the same time, we were moving ahead with getting the payments out to those whom we could pay. We followed on with the calculation of the ultimate ACRES payment, which could be offset against the interim payment. We were very clear but at no point in time could we say it was going to take another year or two years or tell them the point in time at which we would be finished with the payments. We were very much focused on resolving the issues and dealing with the problems in respect of processing.

As has been said many times, it is easy to say that the IT systems or issues were at fault but a lot of work goes on between the business and IT sides of the house to make sure that things are right. People are developing programmes and software all the time. These have to be tested. It bounces back and forth. We have to be absolutely clear that things are working. It is a combined effort. When those systems are put in place, they work effectively for everybody. Everybody takes responsibility for that. The Minister and the previous Minister have been clear that it was unacceptable that farmers were suffering those delays and that the Department was doing everything it could to make those payments as quickly as possible. We have been true to that. We have been putting those systems and solutions in place. That is almost complete.