€1.5bn Payments To Farmers Revealed

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced details of the direct payments valued at €1.5 billion that will be made to farmers between now and the end of this year.

However, the IFA President John Bryan said the proposal to make an advanced payment as opposed to a full payment for the Disadvantaged Areas from next week was a "body blow" to low income farmers anxiously awaiting the full amount.

He said this move is unprecedented and unacceptable as farmers expected that they would receive their full payment in the normal way from next week.

Outlining the payments that fall under the 2010 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the 2010 Single Payment Scheme and Grassland Sheep Scheme. TD Brendan Smith said his priority was to maximise the cash flow to farmers between now and Christmas.

However, John Bryan called on the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith to payout a 100% of the Disadvantaged Area payment to all farmers without delay.

"Delaying the second tranche of Disadvantaged Area payments until early November will lead to cash flow problems on farms as these payments are the first direct payment many farmers will receive this year," the IFA chief said.

John Bryan added the Department could not hide behind the mapping problems as farmers had applied for the Single Farm Payment and Disadvantaged Area payments over four months ago.

He said the Department should be in a position to make the full Disadvantaged Area payment and the advance of the Single payment with adjustments at a later stage.

The Minister said instead that his entire focus was to make the maximum permissible payments to farmers under each of the relevant Direct Payment Schemes. He was confident that almost €1.5 billion would be paid to Irish farmers before 31 December 2010. The schedule of payments is as follows:

• 22 September – 75% under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme
18 October – 50% Advance SPS Payment
• 4 November – 25% balancing DAS payment
1 December – 50% balancing SPS payment.
• 8 December - Grassland Sheep Payment.
The Minister also expressed his confidence that a positive response will be received over the EU's approval of Ireland’s request for an advance of the Single Payment.

Minister Smith said: “I sought EU agreement to make an advance payment under the 2010 Single Payment Scheme and, I am pleased to say, this request was viewed favourably by the EU Commission and had now been referred to the relevant Management Committee for consideration and approval.

The IFA President said the 50% advance on the Single Farm Payment from October 18th is a positive move and will help cash flow on many farms. However, he said the payments should be made to all farmers and it is "unacceptable" that the advance may be delayed in up to 20,000 cases.

(DW/BMcC)