Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

Some €37.1 million and the possibility of making second interim payments is currently being examined. Naturally every claim from a processor must be validated. As the Deputy rightly said, we have to protect the taxpayer. Whether the product is abroad or here, it must be rendered and validated by a competent authority. We will not pay out money until the relevant checks have been done. That does not include the figure for payments made to farmers who unfortunately had to have their herds slaughtered. I will not give a figure for that, but I can clarify it and advise the Deputy tomorrow.

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