DEAR SIR: Reading the Irish Farmers Journal dated 17 March, page 19, re digitisation of land, I had the same problem. I received no Single Farm Payment by mid-January 2018.

My farm consultant contacted the Department by email. I phoned Portlaoise to be told a number of times my file was with mapping and I would receive a phone call about same.

Mid-February, still going nowhere. My agri consultant asked if I have any political contact. I phoned my local TD and explained I had received no Single Farm Payment. He said he would put in a parliamentary Dáil question to Minister Creed.

One week later, I received a phone call from an official in the Department of Agriculture SFP section who informed me I had a double claim on some land I had leased, despite the fact it was year three in a five-year lease. The previous two years had no issues.

He said he would investigate and phone me back in a couple of days. Five days later I received my Single Farm Payment. No explanation as to why I waited for four months without explanation, only I had an over-claim for €50.

Would any of the staff in the Department go without their wages for four months? I don’t think so. From the time I phoned the TD to getting paid took 20 days. Myself and the farm consultant tried for three and a half months and could not even get a reply.

Hope you print some contents of this letter – basically, don’t bother ringing the Department. Ring your local TD.