Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We accept that the vast bulk of payments have been made but work remains to be done by the Department on a small number. I understand the EU regulations. The payments cannot be made before the middle of October. I understand that but where applications have been made properly, all information supplied, and preliminary inspections carried out but where the Department still has work to do, it is not acceptable that these payments are still held up as we move into December. Changes have been made to the online application system. That was supposed to speed things up. The Minister has said that 97% of applications have been processed. That is good news but the people who are still waiting are caught with regard to cashflow. As the Minister will understand, bills start coming in at the end of the year and must be paid. Not only is the balancing payment due in December looking shaky, but these people have not even got the advance payment everyone else got in October. My three questions all relate to the work to be done by the Department; that is how important this is. Where the Department has work to do and loose ends to tie up, I ask that this be done as soon as possible so that the advance payment and balancing payment can be made to these farmers in the coming weeks. I do not need to tell the Minister that some farmers have huge cashflow problems, particularly this year. We had a very wet harvest. These farmers are going to be strapped for money, which they need to keep the show on the road. I ask the Minister and his senior officials to make every effort to ensure that the small number of outstanding applications are processed as quickly as possible.

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