Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. I acknowledge the hard work and efficiency of the departmental officials in getting out the vast majority of payments on time. It is only right this is acknowledged. Unfortunately, we have all been lobbied by constituents who are still awaiting payment. The vast majority of people awaiting payment need that payment to meet their bills. It will be 1 December at the end of the week and people's financial cashflow is under extreme pressure. We still have 1,400 cases awaiting payment of the single farm payment, 1,500 cases awaiting a greening payment and more than 1,200 cases awaiting areas of natural constraints payments. Would it be possible for applicants to be paid their advance payments and if there was a need for penalties or reductions that they could be taken out of the balancing payment issued later in the year? That would be a common-sense approach and would allow a person's cashflow to meet their living expenses and pay their bills. People depend on the single farm payment and payments for areas of natural constraints to pay their bills. I accept the hit rate is high but anyone waiting for a payment is one person too many. It is almost 1 December and a total of 1,400 people are waiting for single farm payments. What I have suggested would be a compromise and a common-sense solution, with regard to allowing penalties arising to be paid from the balancing payment.

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