Vol. 418 No. 7
63 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the procedure he intends to follow to approve additional payments for landowners following the completion of farm visits and investigations in areas which were not included previously in the extension of disadvantaged areas; and when he expects that these payments will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The question of additional payments does not arise until the data from the recent field survey of 40,000 farms are processed, the results considered by the appeal panel and recommendations made to me prior to the initiation of detailed procedure with the EC Commission. This involves a formal submission by the Government to the EC Commission, detailed discussion and consultation between both parties followed by Commission approval and if necessary, ratification by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.
I can assure the Deputy that once the submission is ratified there is no question of any undue delay in making payments. In this regard, the recent extension and reclassification proposals were finally ratified in September 1991 and payments were made to farmers in the areas affected under the 1991 headage scheme.
