Vol. 426 No. 7
60 Mr. E. Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will introduce a "pay by date" in respect of agricultural grants and subsidy payments thus ensuring that farmers receive their payments in time to run their businesses efficiently; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Payment of agricultural grants and subsidies to farmers is subject to EC Regulations which lay down the conditions under which such payments must be made. These regulations impose obligations both on the farmers in relation to the type of supporting documentation required and on the member state authorities as regards the level of inspectors and checks required to ensure that the subsidies and grants are not improperly paid. Accordingly, my Department is obliged to satisfy itself that the terms and conditions of the various schemes are fully complied with before it can pay the grants or subsidies to farmers. The time required to undertake these inspections and checks depends on a number of factors, including the number of applications submitted, and the accuracy with which the applications are completed by the farmers themselves.
In addition, disputes between the Department and individual farmers as to entitlement to a grant or subsidy may take some time to resolve, depending on the complexity of the case.
I very much recognise the increasing importance of premium-headage payments in farmers' overall incomes and I am committed to ensuring that all applications for grants and subsidies are processed in the shortest possible time and that payments are made at the earliest opportunity, subject to the time constraints laid down in Community Regulations. I do not believe that setting a "pay by date" would add to that commitment.
