Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 January 2022
1956. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers selected for satellite inspection in 2020; if he has considered processing these inspections in a timeframe that would facilitate payment to these farmers with whom no issue is found at the same time as those not selected for inspection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63142/21]
View answerAt least 5% of BPS applicants are selected for land eligibility inspection annually. Some 6,666 applicants were selected for a satellite inspection in 2020. All inspections are carried out as quickly as possible in order to allow prompt payment to farmers.
Current EU Regulations provide that payments under the Basic Payment Scheme shall be made within the period from 1st December to 30th June of the following calendar year. The regulations further allow Member States, prior to 1st December, but not before 16th October, to pay advances for those Direct Payments.
In Ireland, the practice for a number of years has been that advance payments commence automatically from 16th October each year and balancing payments commence from 1st December. Under the Regulations, advance payments can only be paid in cases where the administrative checks are completed. The Regulations also require that cases selected for inspection cannot be paid their advance payment until the inspection is carried out.
One of the flexibilities introduced by the EU Commission in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, permitted advance payments to be paid inspection cases in 2020 on condition that administrative checks were complete even though the inspection was not completed. My Department availed of that derogation in 2020. Unfortunately, that derogation was not continued into by the European Commission in respect of 2021 inspection cases.
