John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the balance of payments due to beet contractors from the beet fund allocation in his Department will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47996/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As part of the reform of the EU sugar regime in 2006, a temporary restructuring scheme was introduced with the aim of reducing EU sugar production in order to comply with WTO and other international obligations. The scheme provided an incentive for sugar processors to renounce sugar quota and dismantle the associated sugar processing plant and it provided compensation for affected stakeholders. Greencore, the sole Irish sugar processor and holder of the Irish sugar quota, decided to avail of this scheme and accordingly the company renounced the quota and dismantled the last remaining sugar factory at Mallow in compliance with the conditions of the scheme. This was a commercial decision taken by the Company having regard to the deteriorating market situation.

The total compensation package negotiated in November 2005 in the context of the reform of the EU sugar regime, as modified in 2007, was worth €353m to Ireland, made up of €220m to beet growers, €6 million to machinery contractors and €127 million to Greencore plc. The beet growers’ share was made up of restructuring aid of €53 million, diversification aid of €44 million and €123 million via the Single Farm Payment. All elements of the Restructuring Scheme have now been implemented, not just within Ireland but across the EU.