Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

This placed a huge onus on my Department and my Department delivered the goods. Not only has payment to more than 90% of applicants been made in December of each year but both last year and this year, I managed to get agreement at EU level for an early 50% part payment under the scheme from 16 October. Again, my Department was able to deliver on the earlier targets and last year more than €1.9 billion was paid in direct aid to farmers.

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