Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 May 2013
239. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether every active farmer should get an advance of €1,000 of the payments due to be paid in the autumn to alleviate the stress and financial pressure they are under at the moment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24796/13]
View answerI am particularly conscious of the difficulties facing farmers, prompted by the prolonged period of adverse weather, which has cumulated in severe fodder shortages in many areas and I have taken a number of steps to assist.
Specifically, I have introduced the Imported Fodder Transport Scheme, designed to assist towards the transport costs of imported fodder and maintenance of stocking levels. The situation has prompted action by the wider industry and farm bodies, which is very welcome. In keeping the situation under constant review, I decided, given the ongoing shortages in some areas, to extend the Imported Fodder Transport Scheme to 24 May and to double the funding available to €2 million. Simultaneously, my Department’s Emergency Welfare System continues to respond to individual emergency situations. Fodder, eligible under the scheme and delivered into the country will be covered up to next Friday 24 May. I have also decided, as an exceptional measure, that any definite purchases that have been placed by that date, but which will be delivered during the following week, will be included under the scheme.
I also decided that a formal request should again be made to the EU Commission seeking agreement to pay an advance from 16 October of the 2013 Single Farm Payment which, being the first day of the new EU financial year, is the earliest potential payment date and almost two months ahead of the standard timeline. It will be recalled that my successful approach to Commissioner Ciolos for agreement to making an advance payment of the 2012 Single Farm Payment was prompted by the very wet weather experienced throughout last summer.
My Department will continue to make every effort to ensure that payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme commence as early as possible in September, while taking into account of the need to adhere to the requirement in the governing EU Regulation, which provides that all eligibility checks must be finalised before full payments can commence .
To date, over 29,300 of the remaining 30,200 REPS 4 participants have been paid a total of nearly €170m in respect of the 2012 application period, with almost €35m of this issuing in 2013. A further €1m issued in the past week to REPS 4 farmers. Payments to the final 900 query cases are ongoing and are expected to be finalised shortly.
Following the issue of over 2,000 AEOS payments valued at approximately €3m over the last two weeks, a further €700,000 will issue to nearly 300 more farmers in the next week. This will bring the total paid under AEOS 1 and 2 applicants to over €40m in respect of the 2012 application period, €15m of which issued in 2013 alone.
