Minister Coveney Must Deliver on His Early February Payment Deadline – IFA

IFA Deputy President Tim O’Leary has called on the Minister of Agriculture Simon Coveney to insist that the Department of Agriculture meets the early February deadline he has set to pay out all remaining Basic Payment, National Reserve, Young Farmer and ANC payments. He said these payments should have been made last year, but the Minister has set a new deadline of early February and there can be no excuses for any failure to meet this.

Tim O’Leary said, “With the next Charter of Rights meeting due on 29th January next, IFA is insisting that there is real progress made over the next two weeks as the delays in payments have led to significant cash flow difficulties on some farms. The promise from the Minister that there will be two payment runs per week must be delivered, together with all payments being cleared by early February”.

The IFA Deputy President also said there must be National Reserve and Young Farmers schemes for 2016 and added that discussions on this must commence soon.

Mr O’Leary welcomed the proposal from Commissioner Hogan in Brussels on simplification allowing for preventive preliminary cross checks on area aid applications, simplification of the system of administrative penalties and a yellow card system for first offenders with reduced penalties.

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