Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 7 Feb 1995

Vol. 448 No. 6

Written Answers. - Agricultural Premia.

Noel Davern

Ceist:

206 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the approximate length of time to process applications and issue payments under the 10 month beef premium, 22 month beef premium, suckler cow, ewe premium, beef cow, extensification premium and sheep headage schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2449/95]

Noel Davern

Ceist:

207 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the time normally spent on applications under headage premia schemes which have been queried including details of the length of time from date of application to actual payments of the premia or final decision not to allow premia as the case maybe; if he intends to set up a special query unit because of the delays experienced by applicants with queried files; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2450/95]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

I propose taking Questions Nos. 206 and 207 together.

The length of time between application and payment dates under a particular scheme depends on various issues including such EU requirements as respect for retention periods and the 1 November starting date for special beef and suckler cow advance payments. The 2 months retention period under the special beef premium and disadvantaged areas cattle and equine headage schemes, the 100 days retention period under the ewe premium, sheep headage and goat headage schemes and the 6 months retention period under the suckler cow premium scheme all have a bearing on payment dates. The integrated administration and control system applied by the EU to all schemes means that no one application can be treated in isolation from other applications by the same farmer. Applications submitted late in the year, therefore, impact on payment possibilities under much earlier applications. Most farmers are obliged to submit an area aid application and the processing of these applications is also critical to the delivery of payments to premium and headage applicants. The need to respect EU rules on stocking density means that final payments under the various schemes and full payment of extensification premium have to await full processing of all applications submitted by the farmer over the year. Another critical factor is the quality of the completed application. Farmers can obviously help in this regard but the Department can also contribute to the earlier correction of errors. It is essential that applicants are informed at a very early stage where there are problems with or errors on their applications. This is a matter of priority for me within the charter of rights for farmers that I am introducing this year. I have no proposals at present to set up a "special query unit because of the delays experienced by applicants with queried files" as I would prefer to eliminate as far as possible the causes of such delays rather than let them continue and be dealt with by such a unit. I am, however, intent on putting in place a formal appeals facility in my Department to handle appeals against decisions under headage and premium schemes. I have initiated a fundamental review within my Department of all procedures for processing and paying applications under the schemes mentioned by the Deputy. My aim is to deliver payments as speedily and safely as possible to all farmers. The starting dates for the payment of 1994 balances show that we are already achieving significant progress in this endeavour. I intend to build on and enhance that progress under the 1995 headage and premia schemes.