Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 4

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Denis Naughten

Question:

28 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the measures he intends to take to reduce the complexity of the application procedures in his Department for premia and other grant aid schemes. [4912/02]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

While the Department's payment system is one of the most efficient in Europe, application procedures for premia and other schemes have been, and continue to be, subject to review with a view to simplification, subject to meeting EU accountability requirements.

As part of this process, a protocol on direct payments was agreed with the social partner farming organisations in 2000, and this has been carried forward in the Department's customer service action plan 2001-2004.

The Department's customer service action plan 2001-2004 expands the commitments undertaken in the protocol to include other schemes and services administered by my Department. Among the action points in the plan is a commitment to the use of clear and simple language in forms and information leaflets, the setting up of regional customer panels in order to get feedback from individual farmers on various aspects of service delivery, and to continue to extend the use of electronic data to reduce form filling by our customers.

I am well aware of the difficulties faced by some in completing the paperwork required under many schemes. For this reason, I succeeded in getting the Council of Agriculture Ministers to reaffirm its commitment to simplification. As a result, a new EU regulation on scheme controls and penalties has been adopted and I am satisfied that the changes being introduced will be of considerable benefit to farmers. I have this week launched a guide to the recent changes in the livestock and arable aid schemes. A copy of this guide is being posted to every herdowner in the country. An extensive series of information meetings explaining these changes will take place throughout the country over the next few weeks. The guide and information meetings are intended to assist farmers in maximising their entitlements to premia and avoiding penalties.

Subject to EU regulatory constraints, in consultation with its customers, my Department will continue to seek to simplify forms and application procedures generally.