Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

With regard to querying scores, the facility is in place for engaging with the local CP teams and having it assessed.

On the wider point in respect of payments, we have worked hard to make sure farmers could get payments. Obviously, the objective was to ensure everybody got their 85% advance but in the absence of that we made the interim payment. I accept the point Deputy Wynne is making about cases where the interim payment would end up being higher. For example, if one is on the CP stream, the interim payment was €5,000. If the score was on the commonage and it proved to be smaller, then there may be a repayment due or an overpayment in place. In these instances we have given the facility to make sure that is taken off future ACRES payments and netted against future ACRES payments. This is to be as understanding as possible. The objective has always been to serve farmers in the best way possible. I made the high interim payment because I felt that on balance it was better to get farmers paid more earlier, rather than them not being paid enough, and then having it netted in future ACRES payments. I wanted to make sure we were not interrupting cash flow for farmers for important payments they were waiting on.

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