This article is from page 38 of the 2007-12-11 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 38 JPG
SPEAKING just before last Wednes- day budget, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Coughlan, announced the commencement of balancing payments under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme.
She explained that for the majority of applicants under the Single Pay- ment Scheme, these payments, worth in excess of €575 million, represent the balancing 50 per cent payment due under the Scheme. This brings the total amount paid under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme to in excess of €1.1 billion with a further €250 million paid under the Disadvan- taged Areas Scheme.
“Following my approach to the
Commissioner earlier this year, agreement was reached on a 50 per cent advance payment, payable from 16 October last,” she said.
“IT was particularly conscious that the difficult weather conditions for farming, which prevailed in the late spring and summer, had adversely affected farmers’ cash flows.”
Minister Coughlan confirmed that she is continuing to press the Eu- ropean Commission, as part of the CAP Health Check negotiations, to amend the Regulations in order to provide for an earlier payment date for the full amount of the Single Pay- ment in future years.
She also confirmed that payments will continue to be processed by her Department in the coming weeks.
Coughlan said that almost half of the payments under the Single Payment Scheme are being paid directly into farmers’ bank accounts.
Under current European Commis- sion requirements, from mid October 2008 all payments to farmers must be made to a bank account so this is effectively the last year that the Sin- gle Payment Scheme will be paid by cheque.
She pointed out that her Depart- ment has written to farmers, still be- ing paid by cheque, requesting the submission of the authorisation to make payments to a bank account in order to meet this requirement.
The minister urged farmers to re- spond to this request and return their bank details to the department as
soon as possible.
“Tam greatly encouraged by the re- sponse of farmers to the introduction of this facility, which was introduced on a somewhat restricted basis for the 2007 Schemes.”
‘“‘However, given its success, I am determined that the facility will be vigorously promoted in advance of the closing date for the 2008 Schemes,” she said.
“It is my intention that all Single Payment and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme applicants will be written to in the coming weeks, outlining the benefits of the on-line facility for submitting applications and explain- ing the process of getting signed up to avail of it.”