Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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If I may ask one other question, the Department has a habit of posting letters to farmers about over-payments where it is looking for a refund of money. Most of those letters say the money must be paid back in seven days. The reality to those of us who know is that farmers will always do a deal with the Department that the money is recouped out of future grants. However, there are some very innocent people who take fright at a seven-day demand from the Department and they just go to the bank and get a cheque and send back the money. Then they come to me and I say to them not to be worrying about it, that as long as they continue farming, any overpayment will be taken out of next year's disadvantaged area or area of natural constraint or whatever single farm payment, and that they will not have to come up with a big lump sum to repay the Department. These letters are quite intimidating. Why does the Department not say that, if the farmer enters into an agreement within a fixed period, the money will be taken out of future grants? That is what the Department inevitably does in practice.