James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Longford should be forced to wait almost a year for payment under REPS 3, following her decision to merge REPS 2 and 3 payments with REPS 4 and pay these at the end of the year with the single farm payment which will impact adversely on this person and on the entire farming industry, to the detriment of the livelihoods of individual farmers who signed a contract with her Department for specific payment at specific times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7162/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I had further discussions with Commissioner Fischer Boel in Brussels earlier this week about the difficulties with the European Commission in relation to the established practice of paying REPS 2 and REPS 3 participants at the beginning of each contract year. I am very glad to say that I obtained the Commissioner's agreement that Ireland can continue to receive REPS payment claims and make payments as has been done in the past, until the expiry of REPS 2 and REPS 3 contracts.

I have directed my officials to take immediate steps to release REPS 2 and REPS 3 payments which had been on hold since early January and payment for valid outstanding claims will begin to issue later this week. Payments to REPS 4 farmers under contracts which commenced in 2007 are now issuing. My officials are in discussion with the European Commission on the payment arrangements to apply to REPS 4 contracts commencing in 2008 and I expect the matter to be clarified shortly.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Longford should be forced to wait almost a year for payment under REPS 3, following her decision to merge REPS 2 and 3 payments with REPS 4 and pay these at the end of the year with the single farm payment, which will impact adversely on this person and on the entire farming industry to the detriment of the livelihoods of individual farmers who signed a contract with her Department for specific payment at specific times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7164/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I had further discussions with Commissioner Fischer Boel in Brussels earlier this week about the difficulties with the European Commission in relation to the established practice of paying REPS 2 and REPS 3 participants at the beginning of each contract year. I am very glad to say that I obtained the Commissioner's agreement that Ireland can continue to receive REPS payment claims and make payments as has been done in the past, until the expiry of REPS 2 and REPS 3 contracts.

I have directed my officials to take immediate steps to release REPS 2 and REPS 3 payments which had been on hold since early January and payment for valid outstanding claims will begin to issue later this week.

Payments to REPS 4 farmers under contracts which commenced in 2007 are now issuing. My officials are in discussion with the European Commission on the payment arrangements to apply to REPS 4 contracts commencing in 2008 and I expect the matter to be clarified shortly.