Written answers

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Single Payment Scheme Payments

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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476. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that entitlements including the single farm payment are paid early this year in view of the severe difficulties endured by farmers resultant from the adverse weather. [20003/13]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am particularly conscious of the continuing adverse weather conditions and the impact on farming. It will be recalled that my successful approach to Commissioner Ciolos for agreement to making an advance payment of the 2012 Single Farm Payment was prompted by the very wet weather experienced throughout last summer. The effects of this prolonged wet weather, together with the extended winter, have led ultimately to the current fodder crisis.

In light of the difficulties experienced by farmers in sourcing fodder supplies, last week I announced the allocation of €1 million to fund the Imported Fodder Transport Scheme, which is designed to reduce the cost to farmers of imported forage (hay, silage, haylage) from outside the island of Ireland. This will substantially cover the cost of transport into the country and will reduce the cost to farmers of a bale of hay by approximately one third.

Mindful of ongoing difficulties, a formal request will be made to the EU Commission seeking agreement to pay an advance from 16 October of the 2013 Single Farm Payment which, at almost 2 months ahead of the standard timeline, is the earliest potential payment date.

In order to ensure that payments are processed efficiently and effectively, I would urge those who have yet to submit their applications under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme to do so via iNet, my Department’s on-line application system, as there are significant benefits in doing so, not least of which is that it guaranteed immediate, verifiable receipt by my Department of their applications and, through the system of in-built validations, significantly reduces the numbers of errors that could be made, thereby ultimately leading to speedier payment. Furthermore, the introduction in 2012 of an on-line mapping element allowed farmers, or their agents, who needed to submit maps to my Department, to do so through iNet, thereby dispensing with the need to submit paper maps.

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