Late payment applications can prove costly
Farmers have missed the deadline despite efforts by the Department of Agriculture to publicise the need to make a valid application before May 15. This year, a new system of text alerts for 90,000 farmers who have their mobile telephone details registered with the Department is expected to reduce the number of farmers missing out on vital direct payments (including more than €1.234bn of single farm payments to 123,552 farmers).
Payments since 2005 have totalled €9bn, when the disadvantaged areas scheme, the suckler cow welfare Scheme, REPS, the grassland sheep scheme and others are included.
EU regulations state that with the exception of cases of force majeure and exceptional circumstances, the submission of a late application after the relevant time will lead to a 1% reduction per working day in the amounts the farmer gets. And if the delay amounts to more than 25 days, the application is considered inadmissible. The closing date for receipt of applications was May 15, but Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has reminded farmers that amendments to their 2012 Single Payment Scheme applications can be made on or before today.
Certain amendments will be allowed up to and including Jun 9, but will be subject to a 1% reduction for each working day the amendment is late.
However, there is a facility to withdraw land, reduce the claimed area of a parcel, or change parcel use from eligible to ineligible (for example, the transfer of a house site), without penalty, after today.
“Farmers are free to use this option provided the farmer in question has not been notified by my department of any irregularities concerning his/her application, nor notified of an on-the-spot inspection. Furthermore, the option is not available where either full or partial payment of SPS has issued,” the minister explained.
He confirmed that provision is again being made under the 2012 Scheme for resolution of recognised ‘innocent errors’, without penalty. “An obvious or innocent error would be a minor clerical error, generally relating to missing details for an application, such as crop use. My department considers each such case on its merits”.
