132 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will give a list of every subsidy or grant available from his Department or from the EU through his Department; the number of forms involved for application for each; the average number of working days between application and payment in respect of each grant and subsidy; the percentage of the total number of applicants who fail in their application in respect of each grant and subsidy; the number of such schemes for which there is an explanatory leaflet available; the plans, if any, he has to simplify the grant system operated by his Department and to make his Department more user friendly; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Grant Applications.
Question:
The various EU and national aids and subsidies paid to farmers by my Department are fully listed and comprehensively described in the publication "Schemes and Services 1993". The Deputy can take it that at least one form would have to be completed by an applicant in respect of each scheme. Explanatory texts are available in respect of all current schemes.
In connection with implementation of CAP reform arrangements in particular, I have arranged for my Department to simplify as much as possible the procedures for participation under the various schemes and to reduce the time elapsing between application and payment. I will continue to pursue those endeavours. However, the degree to which the requirements of schemes can be simplified or accelerated is limited by the obligations of financial accountability both at national and EU level, obligations which, as the Deputy will understand, it is essential to observe.
To provide full details on the number of applicants found ineligible under each of the schemes would involve disproportionate administrative expense. However, for the main such schemes, livestock headage and premia, the position is that about 3 per cent of applications on average are found ineligible after all avenues of checking have been exhausted.