Written answers

Thursday, 26 November 2009

Department of Agriculture and Food

Grant Payments

5:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if all farm support payments due have been paid to date; if administrative procedures are not being used as a means of slowing down or withholding payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43547/09]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if all payments due to farmers under the various aid or headage payment schemes are up to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43864/09]

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 306 together.

Payments are made as claims are processed and there is no question of my Department slowing down or withdrawing payments due to farmers. In fact the contrary is the case. My Department operates one of the most efficient payment systems in the EU and in recognition of the income difficulties experienced by farmers, I have secured the agreement of the Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, to request the Dail to approve a Supplementary Estimate for my Department. This will allow me to bring forward some €85 million in payments under the Farm Waste Management Scheme and the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS), which would otherwise have fallen to be paid in the New Year.

Since the commencement of 2009 and up to and including Wednesday, 25 November 2009, payments totalling €1.800 billion have issued direct to farmers under the following schemes: - € million

Single Farm Payment 885.111

Farm Waste Management Scheme 243.274

REPS 240.633

Disadvantaged areas 218.711

Afforestation grants & premia 112.470

Early Retirement 36.667

Suckler Cow 31.916

Farm Improvement Scheme 24.967

Installation Aid 7.288

The Deputy will be aware that the governing regulations on the Single Payment Scheme provide for payments to be made in one tranche, not before 1 December of the year of application. However, earlier this year, mindful of conditions faced by the farming community across the Union, the Commissioner agreed to allow a 70% advance payment be made, effective from 16 October. This payment began issuing on 16 October and the numbers paid to date represent 98% of the Scheme applicants, a significant increase over the 2008 position. The 30% balancing payments are scheduled to begin issuing on 1 December.

In relation to the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, payments began issuing on 22 September and, to date, in excess of 97% of applicants have been paid. The majority of the farmers who are not clear for payment have yet to meet the minimum stocking density requirement.

REPS 3 payment applications are received throughout the year and are processed in accordance with the target set out in the Charter of Rights for Farmers.

REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007–2013 and is subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications, including plan checks, to be completed before the first 2009 payments issue. Processing of applications is at an advanced stage. I hope to be in a position to release the 75% payment due on valid applications in mid December, and the remaining 25% once the last of the on-the-spot inspections for 2009 has taken place.

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