Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the numbers of farmers who have not being paid their REP scheme 4 payments for 2012; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14660/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the EU Regulations governing the scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check of all applications, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue.

Successive EU audits have made it absolutely clear that compliance with the Regulations must be strictly adhered to and that all administrative checks must be passed and eligibility conditions met before payment issues. As a result, my Department is obliged to ensure that individual payments will not issue until all aspects of a farmer’s application are in order, all outstanding documentation provided and all queries resolved.

There are currently a total of 30,284 participants in REPS4. To date 27,718 of these have been paid 100% of their 2012 REPS4 entitlement. A further 260 have been paid 75% of their REPS4 entitlement for 2012 and in these cases the balancing payment of 25% will be made shortly.

A total of 2,306 participants have yet to receive any payment under REPS 4 for 2012 to date.

Outstanding 2012 REPS 4 payments are largely due to unresolved queries associated with applications and where necessary officials in my Department will have contacted the applicants concerned with the intention of issuing payment as soon as possible.