Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 31 January 2012
544 Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when REP scheme 4 payment will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5365/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person named commenced REPS 4 in June 2008 and received payments for the first three years of the contract period. Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, had to be completed before any payment could issue in respect of 2011. These checks have now been completed and 75% payment totalling €2,852.56 has issued to the person named on 26th January 2012. The 25% balancing payment of €950.85 will issue shortly.
545 Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will issue all outstanding REP scheme payments, single farm payments and disadvantaged area aid payments owed to farmers in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5380/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department operates a number of grants and scheme payments for farmers. Funding for these schemes is provided by the Exchequer, the EU or a combination of both and all expenditure must be carried out in an appropriate manner and in strict compliance with the regulatory requirements.
Area-based schemes under the Rural Development Programme, 2007-13, in particular, are subject to EU Regulations which require detailed administrative checks on all applications, including cross checks with the Land Parcel Identification Scheme, to be completed before payments can issue. These rigorous procedures, including on-farm inspections, apply to payments under the Single Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Schemes, the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and the Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS). The checks are carried out to ensure that applications comply with the scheme conditions and cross-compliance requirements.
I am acutely conscious of the financial pressures on many farm families and of the importance of grant and scheme payments to their incomes and cash-flow. I have given the highest priority to the processing and payment of all scheme payments while meeting the regulatory requirements and responsibilities, and to the elimination of all unnecessary delays.
Insofar as payments to farmers in Co Kerry are concerned, a total of 1,461 participants have been paid under REPS 4. Payments to the remaining scheme applicants are being paid as queries arising are resolved.
The situation under the Single Payment Scheme is that the vast majority of applicants have received their payment. To date, my Department has paid €59 million to 7,546 farmers. The remaining 31 farmers have errors in their applications and require further processing, including responses, before they can be cleared for payment.
There is a similar situation in respect of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme where payments amounting to €18.6 million have been made to 7,600 farmers. There are 268 outstanding cases but many of these will not be eligible for payment as they will not meet the stocking density minimum requirement of 0.15 livestock units per hectare. The outstanding cases are prioritised by my Department and cases are processed for payment as soon as satisfactory responses are received from applicants.
