Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the opening statement, for the briefing material and for being here. I have a few questions and clarifications. On the back of what has just been said, we have this experience every time we have a new CAP when it comes to the payments. There is a delay due to the systems having to be put in place in the first year. Will there be any improvement going forward? Do the witnesses believe there is a possibility to improve the process, perhaps if there was a bit more will there to ensure the payments were made on time and having the systems ready to do this? Is it possible to ensure that the payments will be issued on schedule and for farmers to have this level of certainty? I ask this because almost every payment this year, including in the context of ACRES, and the CAP last year, has been late and yet farmers have been under increasing pressure. Can any improvement be made here in relation to having the systems in place so we avoid having these delayed payments in the first year of every new CAP?