Single Payment Scheme Applications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 May 2013

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Questions (321)

Tom Fleming

Question:

321. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will allow farmers to submit their single farm payment applications to their local district veterinary offices in view of the fact that it will speed up the process, as farmers are under pressure as a result of the fodder crisis, many of whom have to currently travel very long distances to be able to hand in their forms at central offices; if he will take into consideration that the online service is not a viable option for a large number of farmers who need a Department office within a realistic commutable distance for applications as complex and as important as the single farm payment and who urgently require their payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21095/13]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In order to improve its service to farmers, the Department has decided that it will acknowledge – either by text message or by post – all SPS application forms received in 2013. This is intended to assist those farmers, who had forgotten to submit their application as happens in many instances every year. In some instances, farmers are unaware that they had forgotten to submit their application until they are informed that no application has been received when they make enquires about the non-issue of their payments during the autumn.

In order to be in position to carry out this process, it was necessary to provide that 2013 SPS forms together with entitlement related applications should be submitted directly to the Department’s Single Payment Unit, Portlaoise.

Forms may be submitted on-line, hand delivered or returned by post in the pre-addressed envelope sent out to every 2012 applicant under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme. An Express Post receipt is attached to each return envelope sent out and provides an acceptable proof of postage for retention by the applicant. A registered post receipt is also an acceptable proof of postage if such is required by my Department.

The submission of on-line Single Payment Scheme application forms has increased dramatically since the introduction of this facility in 2007 and amounted to over 65,000 applications in 2012 about half of all application forms. I am hopeful that the upward trend in the number of such applications will be maintained this year and I strongly urge farmers to use this option themselves or with the assistance of an approved agent. Such applications are easily traced, are acknowledged electronically and are more readily processed for payment.

The change in the procedure for the submission of paper applications will mean that many application forms will be received on an earlier date in the Single Payment Unit than in previous years. This in turn will greatly assist the early scanning of forms and the issuing of acknowledgements to farmers and indeed the processing to completion of such applications.