Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Oct 1994

Vol. 445 No. 6

Written Answers. - Payment of Agricultural Subsidies.

Enda Kenny

Question:

298 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the changes, if any, in administration methods introduced by him over the summer period to ensure prompt and early payment of all agricultural subsidies for 1994/1995 and subsequent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter in view of the concern, confusion and hardship caused to thousands of farmers by unnecessarily and unduly delayed payments during 1994. [244/94]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

Earlier this year I announced a £4.8 million investment to develop and upgrade computer facilities and other resources particularly in local offices of my Department with the objective of achieving the optimum delivery of my Department's services to farmers and with special emphasis on the timely payment of headage and premia grants.

A new computerised on-line payment system has now been put in place in local offices. The payments system in the special beef unit of my Department has also been upgraded. In addition, extra staffing resources have been put in place in local offices and Portlaoise for 1994. Some 30 staff have been recruited for the new centralised area aid unit of my Department so as to process 1994 area aid applications more quickly and to relieve the local offices of this work. These new arrangements and additional resources should ensure a much speedier throughput of payments in 1994.

I have always made clear my objective of ensuring the earliest delivery of premium and headage payments to farmers. Since becoming Minister, record levels of direct payments have been made to farmers in both 1992 and 1993 when £349 million and £377 million respectively were paid. Indeed a total of over £491 million has now been paid out on foot of 1993 schemes.

Already this year some £335 million has been paid to farmers under premium and headage schemes. Close to £80 million of payments made this year relate to 1994 ewe premium and deseasonalisation slaughter premium schemes where 98 per cent and 92 per cent respectively of eligible applicants have already received payments, a performance second to none in the EU. Very significant levels of further 1994 payments will be commencing in a few weeks when EU regulations permit special beef premium and suckler cow premium advances to be made.

Given the very substantial increase in the volume of applications since 1992 and the new integrated control system introduced under EU regulations. I believe that the record levels of payments achieved speak for themselves. The additional resources which I have obtained from the Government will result in an even higher level of payments in 1994 and subsequent years.