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Agriculture Schemes Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 September 2012

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Ceisteanna (58)

Brendan Smith

Ceist:

58. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the underspend in the agri environment options scheme and the REP scheme to date in 2012; if the full budgeted allocation will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40432/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I would like, first of all, to acknowledge the importance of the agri-environment schemes in environmental terms and also from the point of view of the contribution which they make to farm incomes. These schemes support farmers who choose to deliver environmental goods for the benefit of society as a whole. The fact that I made provision of €243m in the 2012 Vote for my Department for REPS and AEOS, despite a very difficult budgetary situation, demonstrates the strength of both my own and the Government’s commitment to environmentally-friendly farming practices. I believe that the schemes enhance the farmer’s role as custodian of our countryside while allowing productive farming to continue and are an essential part of our response to the significant environmental challenges of the 21st century.

REPS and AEOS are area based schemes which are co-funded by the EU under the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 and EU Regulations governing the Schemes must be strictly adhered to. These require that a full and comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, as well as field inspections, must be completed before payment issue. The Commission have made it clear, in the course of audits, that all checks must be passed and eligibility conditions met. This means that a farmer’s application must be fully in order, all outstanding documentation provided and queries resolved before payment can be released to him or her. Given these requirements, my officials take considerable care in validating payments while also ensuring that farmers receive their payments as soon as possible.

In overall terms, the situation is that payments are more advanced at this stage than in previous years and I am satisfied that payments are issuing on schedule. I am confident, also, that the full Vote provision of €243m will be spent this year and that there will be no underspend.

Insofar as REPS is concerned, practically all of the remaining 30,000 participants have received their 2011 payment and the last remaining query cases are being dealt with as queries are resolved. Arrangements to commence payments in respect of 2012 are ongoing and I expect that I will be in a position to commence payments earlier than last year and in higher numbers. There are about 14,500 active participants in AEOS, 8,200 in AEOS I and 6,300 in AEOS 2. Practically all of the early backlogs associated with these payments are now resolved. Almost all AEOS I 2010 payments have issued, and nearly 7,000 cases are finalised for 2011. The main issue holding up Year 2 payments are queries associated with capital investment claims and receipts. The Department has contacted all of the farmers where queries have arisen and is dealing with the responses received. Nearly 4,000 AEOS II participants have received their 2011 payment and payments continue to issue as the validation process is finalised. I expect to commence AEOS payments in respect of later in the year and to make a substantial number of payments before year end.

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