Changes to the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme mean that €37.5m of disadvantaged payments will not land in farmers’ bank accounts until December.
Farmers’ full ANC payment usually arrives in September but a change to EU regulations means 2019 payments will be split, with 85% paid in mid-September and 15% in early December.
More than 95,000 farmers receive ANC money and the scheme’s budget has been increased to €250m.
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New EU regulations state that payments must be made between 1 December and 30 June.
There is an allowance for an 85% advance payment, which was granted by the European Commission last week.
The Commission rejected a request by Irish authorities to make a 100% payment in September.
Hands tied
A spokesperson for the minister said his hands were tied and that a 100% payment could not be made in September.
IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy said Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed was hiding behind EU regulations and that “he could pay 100% to farmers and resolve any issues with the European Commission afterwards”.
ICSA rural development chair Tim Farrell said the minister needed to tell Brussels that “mindless bureaucracy” was leading to payment inefficiency.
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Changes to the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme mean that €37.5m of disadvantaged payments will not land in farmers’ bank accounts until December.
Farmers’ full ANC payment usually arrives in September but a change to EU regulations means 2019 payments will be split, with 85% paid in mid-September and 15% in early December.
More than 95,000 farmers receive ANC money and the scheme’s budget has been increased to €250m.
New EU regulations state that payments must be made between 1 December and 30 June.
There is an allowance for an 85% advance payment, which was granted by the European Commission last week.
The Commission rejected a request by Irish authorities to make a 100% payment in September.
Hands tied
A spokesperson for the minister said his hands were tied and that a 100% payment could not be made in September.
IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy said Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed was hiding behind EU regulations and that “he could pay 100% to farmers and resolve any issues with the European Commission afterwards”.
ICSA rural development chair Tim Farrell said the minister needed to tell Brussels that “mindless bureaucracy” was leading to payment inefficiency.
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