Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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554. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers awaiting 2011 payments and the number awaiting 2012 payment in respect of the agri environment option scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25138/13]

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.

Outstanding payments under both AEOS I and AEOS II are largely due to unresolved queries associated with applications and in most instances officials in my Department will have contacted the applicants concerned with the intention of issuing payment as soon as possible. I am conscious of the importance of these payments to farmer’s incomes especially at this difficult time and my Department is making every effort to assist farmers in regularising their applications and claims for payment. Additional resources have been assigned to dealing with all outstanding queries and payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as outstanding issues are resolved. The table below sets out the details of the number of farmers awaiting 2011 and 2012 payments.