Frank Feighan
Question:227 Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will confirm when REP scheme payment will issue to a person (details supplied). [29444/11]
View answerThursday, 13 October 2011
Questions (225, 226, 227, 228, 229)
Written answers
The person named commenced REPs 4 in June 2009 and received full payment for the first two years of their contract. Arrangements are well advanced to issue payments in respect of 2011 and I expect that these payments will commence in November once all the necessary checks have been completed.
Frank Feighan
Question:228 Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when payment under the area aid scheme will issue to a person (details supplied). [29445/11]
View answerAn application under the Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on the 10th May 2011. This application was selected for and was the subject of a Ground Eligibility/Cross Compliance Inspection. This inspection was initiated on the 9th of August and the results are now being processed.
Under EU regulations governing the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the Single Payments Scheme all Ground Eligibility Inspections must be completed before any payment can issue to any applicant under either scheme, including those not selected for a Ground Eligibility Inspection. In the vast majority of inspected cases amendments have had to be made to the maps in order that the Land Parcel Identification System that is used for making payments to farmers is kept up-to-date. Processing of these changes is continuing and priority is given to applications who were the subject of a Ground Eligibility Inspection.
Frank Feighan
Question:229 Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding the process of map digitising; if this process will delay farmers’ payments indefinitely; how long more farmers will be left without payment; if he will issue farmers with their payments and continue the process afterwards; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that most farmers are relying on these payments to pay off bank instalments on loans. [29446/11]
View answerI can assure the Deputy, and the wider farming community, that my Department is committed to allocating such resources as is necessary to ensure that the essential digitisation of applicants' maps onto the Department's Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) and the processing of payments are proceeding as quickly as possible . However, I must emphasise that any failings or shortcomings in LPIS would leave the Department open to the very real risk of significant fines. I am not prepared to take such a risk, nor will I compromisethe value of direct payments to Irish farmers.
In the case of the Single Farm Payment, it should be remembered that, while the earliest payment date provided for under EU rules is 1 December, as I am particularly conscious of the difficulties caused for farmers by the current financial crisis and am also acutely aware of the significance to the wider rural economy of the Single Payment , earlier this year I successfully sought the approval of the Commissioner to have advance payments made as and from 17 October. This is the earliest possible legal date for making payments, it being the start of the new EU financial year.
Following this agreement to my request for an advance payment of the SFP, I set a very demanding schedule of payments for the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme and the Single Payment Scheme, with payment of DAS scheduled for 22 September, the 50% advance of the SFP scheduled for 17 October and the 50% balance of the SFP scheduled for 1 December. I am pleased to say that the DAS payments commenced on target and the payment date for the advance of the SFP will also be achieved. In all cases, my Department will continue to make multiple payment runs, under both schemes, on a weekly basis, to pay farmers as their applications become fully processed and cleared .
I fully appreciate the value and importance of these schemes to Irish farmers and remain committed to ensuring that the maximum numbers are paid at the earliest possible date, mindful, of course, of the over-riding necessity to ensure compliance with the governing EU requirements. I note that Ireland continues to be among the very first countries throughout the EU to be in a position to make such payments and perhaps sight should not be lost of this fact.
Frank Feighan
Question:230 Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will confirm when payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme will issue in respect of a person (details supplied). [29447/11]
View answerAn application under the 2011 Single Payment Scheme/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 7 April 2011, processing of which has recently been completed, thereby allowing payment to issue under the 2011 Disadvantaged Area Scheme on 7 October 2011. The 50% advance payments under the Single Payment Scheme are scheduled to commence issuing as and from 17 October 2011.
Frank Feighan
Question:231 Deputy Frank Feighan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will confirm when payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme will issue in respect of a person (details supplied). [29448/11]
View answerAn application under the 2011 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 18 April 2011. On processing of this application, an over-claim was identified on one of the land parcels listed. The person named has been written to in this regard and, on receipt of a satisfactory reply, the application will be further processed, with a view to completing the processing of the application without delay.