William Irwin
Newry and Armagh · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. We have worked closely together, and I hold you in high esteem. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for agreeing to look into the matter. I was at the funeral on Sunday, and the family are devastated by their loss. The lady was going to get her hair done and was killed on that main road.”
“I thank my party colleagues and Members from all sides of the House who have wished me well on the occasion of my retirement. It has been an absolute privilege to represent Newry and Armagh since 2007. I think that most people will recognise that I represented everyone irrespective of their class or creed.”
“The Minister may be aware that the Bramley apple industry in County Armagh is worth in the region of £20 million to the local economy. For growers, cold stores are vital to the protection and keeping of the apples. Most of those cold stores are now 30, 40 or 50 years old. Growers need help to replace and renew those stores.”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her response and for her efforts on the matter. The deputy First Minister will be aware that a large number of vaccines are used by the intensive farming sectors. Does she agree that it would be a serious issue if those medicines were not available?”
“I thank the Minister for his responses so far. We are aware of the reports that thousands of tons of raw sewage has been pumped into Belfast lough. Does the Minister agree that that is totally unacceptable and that something needs to be done as soon as possible?”
“That having been said, securing PGI status for the Armagh Bramley in 2012 was hard worked for and very welcome. That has been a valued and unique selling point, not only for the Bramley variety in the Armagh area but for apples generally in all their varieties, as well as apple-based products.”
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“I thank the Minister for his response. How much has DSD spent on regeneration in Armagh city centre?”
“I am also taking the opportunity to thank Committee members for putting in the extra hours in Committee and in additional meetings to achieve this challenging time frame.”
“The Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development agreed the motion to extend the Committee Stage of the Bill until 26 January 2016. The Bill was agreed by urgent procedure by the First Minister and deputy First Minister and was introduced on 9 November 2015. It had its Second Stage debate on 17 November and was referred to the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development thereafter. <BR /> <BR />The Committee, mindful of the time constraints around getting the Bill through all its legislative stages before the end of the mandate and dissolution, has chosen to extend the stage by one week only. In doing so, we are aware that we will be relying on all involved working hard to achieve a position where all the amendments sought by the Committee will be made available in time.”
“Just a couple of years ago, we had some very bad weather, and I read a report that it was due to global warming. Indeed, another paper article said that it was the worst weather for over 100 years. So much for global warming. We were told that we had the worst weather due to global warming and, on the other hand, it was the worst weather for 100 years.”
“Farmers are not afraid to play their part. Indeed, they already play a vital role across the globe in conserving and maintaining millions of acres of land. The motion points to an innovative approach to reducing emissions, and it is important that such approaches are indeed innovative and, critically, must be available and workable in the real world.”
“<BR /> <BR />Getting back to my original point about what goes in must come out, I plead for a level of common sense, especially with regard to agrifood production, and not to increase the burden on our farming industry unrealistically.”
“As far as agriculture is concerned, the fact that cows have been the subject of methane studies and the fact that agrifood production has been steadily moving away from small individual operators producing a small amount of product to a much larger industrialised operation has moved agriculture into a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. <BR /> <BR />In closing, one major concern that I have about targets set is the potential for added strain and cost on the farmer. With farmers already complying with extremely stringent legislation on animal traceability, by-product control, nitrates and a plethora of other directives, I fear that there may be further demands placed on our agrifood industry to go further with potentially costly measures to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
“The difficulties with the various tests that have been conducted point to the cost of the various food additives or replacement elements that have been utilised in tests that seek to reduce gas content in the feed. Reports have stated that whilst additives have reduced recordable methane levels from the cow's mouth, the cost of the additives are a prohibitive factor. There is also the added cost of the carbon footprint in the production and transportation of those feed additives were they to become commonly used. So, we have a catch-22 situation in that regard. <BR /> <BR />The fact that we are discussing greenhouse gases and carbon footprints in agriculture signals a level of thought and importance that has been given to all aspects of production, be that food or any other manufacturing process.”
“However, it is what happens inside the cow that is the main focus of our scientists at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). Indeed, I was somewhat amused to view photos of cows with backpacks attached to measure their methane output. That shows the in-depth approach taken in a bid to come up with ways to reduce the methane output from bovine sources. <BR /> <BR />What scientists are struggling with in regard to livestock is the fact that, in essence, they are trying to intervene in a natural process — the digestive system. That system has worked as nature intended since time began. The focus of the scientists has been the make-up of the feed used in production and how that contributes to methane levels released.”
“As a recently appointed member of the Environment Committee and as someone who has a lifelong background in agriculture, this is an area of interest to me, especially given the fact that, according to data, agricultural activity accounts for some 29% of emissions of greenhouse gases in Northern Ireland. At times, action to reduce greenhouse gases has been an amusing debate in agriculture circles. Everyone is familiar with the fragrant smells of the farm wafting over our countryside. <BR /> <BR />As a dairy farmer, I know that there is a particular focus on the output of methane from cows in milk production, and statistics reveal dairy production to be a key contributor to greenhouse gases. There is a saying that what goes in must come out. That is more than applicable in this instance.”
“I thank the Minister for his response. He said that the enrolment was not high enough. Markethill High School is at its absolute maximum in relation to the number of pupils that it accepts. Does the Minister accept that Markethill High School has consistently delivered some of the best results anywhere in Northern Ireland?”
“Given that £4 billion a year of exports were going to Russia, the ban has left farmers in a dilemma. Does the Minister believe that Europe could have done much more to help the situation given that this was totally outside farmers' control?”
“Furthermore, with reference to NISRA, Assembly Members may be aware that NISRA already provides guidance and recommendations to Departments and other public authorities on using spatial measures of deprivation in rural areas. What is the overlap with the Bill? Is DARD now taking on responsibility for a NISRA role and remit? <BR /> <BR />That is a broad overview of the Committee's thinking to date. I look forward to hearing what other Members have to say on the Bill today. Thank you.”
“How will the various duties be delivered? What will happen if they are not delivered? In other words, given that the Bill has no enforcement, how robust will it be? If the Bill is not proposing methods of sanction beyond those that are already available to the public, such as writing to the Department or their MLA, what tangible difference will the Bill make, and why are we doing it? <BR /> <BR />A further concern is defining certain terms in the Bill that we believe need further clarification. What is meant by "rural" and "needs"? How will "rural areas" be defined? Will DARD use the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) definition, which is based on the size of settlements?”
“We want to make sure that the new councils are aware of that duty, are prepared for it and have the budget and resources to carry it out. Again, we think that it should be DARD's duty to do that assessment before the Committee completes its scrutiny of the Bill. Similarly, the provisions in the Bill may, at some stage, be extended to a range of public bodies. That would be done after the Bill is enacted and after a period of bedding down in central and local government. I anticipate that the Committee will want to discuss what consultation DARD will have with public bodies on a range of issues, including which bodies should be on that list and how DARD will assess their capabilities to consider rural needs. <BR /> <BR />The next issue that I want to mention is how the provisions of the Bill will work in practice.”
“I personally do not think that that is sufficient. Surely it would have been wise for DARD to have made some firmer assessment of the additional administrative support required and what that means in pounds and pence. That will be one of the key issues that we will explore with DARD officials if the Bill comes to us at Committee Stage. We will want to make sure that a proper assessment has been done of the financial impacts across central and local government. I would go as far as to say that the Committee will need proof that that assessment has been made before we are content to allow the Bill out of its Committee Stage. <BR /> <BR />The provisions in the Bill also impose a new duty on local government.”
“At this time, with tight budgets and less money to go around, it is even more important that the financial implications of new laws are explained in detail to allow informed and full consideration, so we were disappointed to see that the draft memorandum has only one short paragraph on finance at paragraph 12. There is no real detail on the financial aspects of the Bill other than a vague sentence, which states:”
“What he wanted to know was whether, if the Rural Needs Bill had been in place, it would have made any difference to the way in which decisions were taken or policy made on rural school closures. <BR /> <BR />The next issue that I draw attention to is the financial impact of the Bill. All Bills, when they are introduced in the Assembly, are accompanied by an explanatory and financial memorandum. That document is meant to outline the financial impacts of the Bill so that we in the Assembly and the wider public can see the implications for the public purse.”
“DARD has been unable to provide the Committee with any concrete information or research to inform it about how well or otherwise the rural-proofing obligation has been working in each Department. DARD officials told the Committee that, when it consulted on the Bill, respondents stated that there was a perception that rural proofing was undertaken in a patchy way. However, that is just a perception, and we have no definite proof that, in reality, this Bill is going to make a difference to rural communities and farmers. When we discussed the Bill with DARD, one member explored that aspect further, asking for specifics about how the statutory duty might have affected the closure of rural schools.”
“It is anticipated by the Department that, in due course, it will be extended to all other public bodies. Therefore, the Bill will introduce a statutory duty on all Departments and district councils to consider the needs of people living in rural areas when developing policy and delivering public services. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has already outlined in her speech what each clause will do, so I will not go over that again today. Instead, I will outline some of the concerns that the Committee had when it last discussed the Bill. For example, we wanted to know what difference the Bill would make to rural communities and farmers. After all, the Executive have already committed to a rural-proofing obligation.”
“I speak today as Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development and will represent the views of the Committee on the Bill. The Committee had a number of briefings on the Bill as it was developed and its policy proposals were firmed up. Our last two briefings were on 3 November and 19 May 2015. As the Minister outlined, the policy proposals were signed off by the Executive on 7 July, the Bill was drafted over last summer, and, on 20 October, the First Minister and the deputy First Minister agreed that it could be introduced using the urgent decision procedure. <BR /> <BR />At its meeting on 3 November, the Committee heard that the general purpose of the Bill is to impose a duty on public authorities to consider rural needs. Initially, that duty will extend to all Departments and to local government.”
“I received information today that land inspections that took place in June have, five months later, still not been assessed. Does the Minister believe that that is timely?”
“Red tape is a burden not only of time but of finance, especially when farmers have to consult other agencies for assistance in the completion of records and forms. That adds to the overall cost to the farmer. <BR /> <BR />Agriculture is in a very difficult place, but, despite that, as I mentioned, farmers have shown a lot of resilience right across Northern Ireland. With that in mind, agriculture can and must recover. Despite the very concerning trends at present, there are better days ahead. Let us ensure that those in positions of responsibility step up and help us to make the changes that could bring those better days sooner rather than later.”
“The banking institutions, therefore, must continue to lend a sympathetic ear to farmers and recognise the value of the agriculture industry to the wider economy. <BR /> <BR />Other measures that will be of assistance include the new rural development programme, which has recently been granted approval. The Minister must ensure that the various strands of support available to farmers, such as those helping them to create greater efficiency in their business, are quickly made ready and open for farmers to apply for. With the previous programme in mind, and some of the issues that plagued the delivery of the rural development programme with red tape and bureaucracy, the Department must look comprehensively at reducing that burden on our farmers.”
“Along with that, there is a growing need for consumers here to buy British to ensure that we are directly supporting our own producers. The banking institutions also have an important role to play, and there needs to be greater recognition by the main banks of the situation that farmers face. Some banks have already shown some leniency in providing more flexible arrangements in light of the current crisis. I have used recent opportunities to continue to consult the banks and press for more leniency from them. Farmers have a tremendous affiliation and connection to the land they farm, and they want their business not only to survive but to succeed. That has been the resilient attitude of farmers in Northern Ireland for many decades.”
“Competition between the big retailers, whilst good for the consumer, is driving down prices and has a knock-on effect down the supply chain in reducing margins dramatically for farmers at the farm gate. Let it be clear: we are not asking consumers for more money but rather that the supply chain distribute the profit more fairly. As an immediate response to the crisis, the big retailers must do more. That is a message that has been repeated many times, and it remains an important part of the response to the crisis. It could not be more straightforward: farmers deserve to receive more money for their product. <BR /> <BR />As we look at the medium and longer terms, I think that it is clear that we need to find new markets to increase the marketability of Northern Ireland produce.”
“Delays are costly for farmers, especially when, across sectors, they are having to cope to shore up their own businesses and continue producing. That situation, as I said, cannot go on much longer. Farmers cannot continue to lose in that way. <BR /> <BR />The situation facing our industry at present requires a broader response and a collective responsibility from stakeholders to improve the outlook for agrifood production in Northern Ireland. The issue of pricing from farm gate to plate needs to be addressed, and big retailers need to recognise the importance and value of sourcing locally to produce food at a sustainable price for the farmer.”
“My colleague David Simpson and I met Liz Truss MP a few weeks ago, and we left her in no doubt as to the concerns of the Northern Ireland industry. We provided examples of how Northern Ireland has suffered to a greater extent in this crisis than the rest of the UK. <BR /> <BR />The motion refers to the need for basic farm payments to be issued in early December. However, there has been a development since we submitted the motion: the EU Commissioner now allows flexibility on the payment of basic farm payments. In the light of that development, I urge the Minister to prepare her Department immediately to enable payment of that vital cash from 16 October. In such financially challenging times, farmers who are under severe and continuing pressure must not be made to wait on their basic farm payments by the Department.”
“The current weather is not helping the situation for the arable sector. <BR /> <BR />All sectors in our agrifood industry need stability to be able to, first, consolidate and, then, look to make progress. To ask any industry to cope with prices well below the cost of production is simply not sustainable. <BR /> <BR />In order to assist farmers in the shorter term, the package of aid that has been distributed across EU member states must be shared fairly within our own UK region. It is important that Northern Ireland farmers, who have certainly been hit hardest in the current crisis, get the lion's share of the £26 million of aid available to the United Kingdom. I urge the Minister to make every effort and a very strong case for a suitable share of the financial package to come to Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have taken many calls from concerned farmers on the need to raise dairy intervention prices, and in my meeting with EU Commissioner Hogan in Brussels a few weeks ago, along with other representatives, I took the opportunity to stress to him how that could benefit our dairy sector at this difficult time. I also had useful engagements, organised by my colleague Diane Dodds MEP, with Commission officials to discuss the market trends across Europe and to gauge the condition of the industry Europe-wide. The situation is similar in many states across Europe. <BR /> <BR />Dairy is obviously only one sector in our wider industry that is under pressure, and it is clear that all sectors are under increasing strain. This is the first time that I have seen a wide range of sectors facing such difficulties at the one time.”
“<BR /> <BR />A number of factors are contributing to the crisis in our dairy sector, including the Russian import ban, general oversupply of milk across Europe, a weak euro currency and the lack of an appropriate level of intervention in order to assist producers in the immediate term. <BR /> <BR />As a dairy farmer for many years, I have seen many highs and lows, and, in recent times, there has been a real jagged edge to the pricing graph. The instability in pricing has not assisted our industry, and when a few months of good prices are followed by sustained periods of poor prices, it hinders the growth and sustainability of the sector.”
“All sectors, including dairy, meat, vegetable and arable, are experiencing the same difficulties, and the main message that I have heard on my many engagements with farmers around the Province is the need for a rebalancing of the supply chain so that the person at the start of the chain sees a fair return for their efforts. <BR /> <BR />There have been ongoing protests across the Province at supermarkets and other locations, and we have had a number of demonstrations here at Parliament Buildings. With a lot of media attention surrounding the issue, the wider public are now well aware of the problems facing our agrifood industry. We should capitalise on that support by asking consumers to buy British produce.”
“We have neither of those important elements at the moment, and that makes the challenges facing our agriculture industry much more challenging. It is therefore vital that those parties, namely, Sinn Féin and the SDLP, get to grips with reality, face up to the current difficulties and move positively to address them. <BR /> <BR />With that being said, I now move my focus to the plight facing our farmers. They all share the same concerns — lack of economic stability, lack of a level playing field in farmgate pricing and a lack of respect from the larger retailers.”
“At the outset, I must declare an interest as a dairy farmer. I welcome the opportunity to bring this matter to the Floor of the House today. Whilst we have a significant and very real crisis ongoing in our agrifood production industry, we have an equally serious crisis ongoing in our devolved Administration. The current crisis does not assist in responding to and making a positive impact for the good of the Province's agriculture community. <BR /> <BR />We need a stable, devolved Assembly without the fear and threat of renewed violence, and we need a Budget agreed by all the parties to allow our Assembly to take the types of decisions that may help in some way to sustain our agriculture industry and help it recover from this current crisis.”
“That means that we, as a Committee, can, if we choose, come back and look at the detail of the impact of the new regulatory regime. <BR /> <BR />That is all I want to say today, and I conclude my remarks as Chairperson of the Committee.”
“The Bill before us today also includes an amendment put down by Mr Swann and Mr Elliott and accepted by the Assembly. It requires the Department to report on the outworkings of the Bill after three years. It will be interesting to see in three years what those outworkings actually are. However, we, as an Assembly, will not have to wait for three years before dealing with this issue again. As I mentioned near the start of my speech, written into the Bill are various protections that mean that an audit of reservoirs must be carried out. That audit must be presented to the Committee, and, only after that, can the Department bring, by affirmative procedure, a statutory rule to commence large parts of the Bill, namely the recurring parts. Information will be published on a yearly basis on costs and works undertaken.”
“The amendments are now incorporated into the Bill and provide some assurance that, in publishing costs and the types of works being undertaken, the Department is keeping a watching brief on the situation. Having that type of information available and transparent to all will go a long way to addressing the fears that the Bill is an engineers' charter.”
“<BR /> <BR />We, as a Committee, are pleased that the amendments on risk assessment brought by the Minister, at our behest, were accepted at Consideration Stage and are now incorporated into the Bill. Associated with that are the amendments brought on the number of visits by supervising engineers. Those amendments, again, in our opinion, make the Bill fairer to the reservoir owner or manager, without endangering the lives and property of those who live in the flood path of a reservoir. <BR /> <BR />Amendments around cost recovery and other protections were also debated and agreed at Consideration Stage. They provide protection for those who could, in the worst-case scenario, be at risk of bankruptcy because they simply cannot afford the capital costs associated with the repair of their reservoirs.”
“The Committee had concerns that no weighting would be given to the likelihood of a reservoir failing. Indeed, no consideration was being given to the type of flooding that could be expected; for example, the speed and depth of flood water. Initially, no consideration was being given to any remedial works that a reservoir manager may carry out. In other words, no matter how safe the reservoir was, or was made to be, it would continue to be ranked as being a high risk unless all risk to human life was removed from its flood path. We felt that that was unfair to the reservoir owner or manager. Furthermore, you could have two high-risk reservoirs, with one needing urgent attention and one not, but where both would be high risk. That, in the mind of the Committee, was a problem and was counterproductive to the whole meaning of the Bill.”
“Each reservoir manager who takes part in the audit will be entitled to grant aid to assist with the initial inspection by a qualified engineer. It is that inspection that will, ultimately, create the report that will, in turn, create the audit of reservoirs. <BR /> <BR />So what we have is a series of actions, which include the review of reservoirs, the audit of reservoirs and the phased commencement. Together, those three things add up to a major achievement by the Committee, with the cooperation of the Minister, which vastly improve the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Also now written into the Bill as a result of the work at Consideration Stage are new provisions around risk assessment. The Bill, as initially drafted, would only take adverse consequences or impacts into account.”
“Essentially, it means that an audit will take place whereby information on the condition of all reservoirs and the capital costs of bringing them up to an acceptable standard will be collected. That will be presented to the Committee before large parts of the Bill are enacted. In other words, the amendments allow for a phased commencement of duties in the Bill, and, thus, the Assembly has built in an extra layer of protection for reservoir managers. <BR /> <BR />The work on the audit is outside the Bill and has already started, under the auspices of Rivers Agency. In fact, the Committee was given an update on the progress of the audit on 9 June. At that stage, 94 reservoir managers had agreed to take part; 16 were undecided, and three did not respond.”
“We have the assurance that the public purse will ensure that reservoirs in the hands of local government will be kept safe. From that viewpoint, reservoirs in public hands will see little or no difference to their operating regimes once the Bill is introduced. <BR /> <BR />Our concern as a Committee was centred on reservoirs in private ownership and those owned by the third sector. The Department had very limited information on those reservoirs, and it was the lack of information on the condition of reservoirs and the cost to put them right that was of major concern to the Committee. <BR /> <BR />After considerable discussion, a set of amendments on the issue were accepted by the Committee, debated at Consideration Stage, agreed by the Assembly and are now part of the Bill we have before us today at Final Stage.”
“What we had initially was a very complex and technical Bill that many called "an engineers' charter" and which affected, or had an impact on, only a small number of reservoir owners. Initially, that number was 150, but, in part due to the insistence of the Committee, further refining work on the number of reservoirs was done by Rivers Agency. That review meant that the number of reservoirs under the remit of the Bill fell from 150 to 137 and then 132. <BR /> <BR />We are aware that Northern Ireland Water owns the largest number of reservoirs in Northern Ireland — some 48 — and were assured that it already operates and maintains its reservoirs to the standards that will be created once the Bill is enacted. Councils are the next biggest owner. We heard that some may have to adjust their policies and practices to comply with the Act.”
“In that time, there has been considerable reshaping, and, in the opinion of the Committee, we have a much better Bill as a result. It is still not perfect, but it is much better than it was. There has been no undermining of its primary purpose, which is the protection of people, property and the environment from the effects of flooding. The Committee, with the agreement of the Minister and through working closely with her officials, tabled amendments that take away or reduce some of the most onerous duties. <BR /> <BR />Let me recap on how we got to where we are. The Committee had a number of concerns about the Bill, the most important of which was that the need for the Bill had never been proven.”
“It is my pleasure to speak as Chairperson of the Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development. <BR /> <BR />I thought it worthwhile to take the opportunity to give a short summary of the work that has been done in shaping the Bill into the form that we see before us today. I thank the Committee members for all their work on the Bill, particularly in the all-day session on 21 April, when the Assembly went through hundreds of amendments to it. Those amendments have been incorporated in the Bill for the debate at Final Stage. <BR /> <BR />Getting to Final Stage has been a long, and sometimes difficult, road. After all, the Bill was introduced to the Assembly on 20 January 2014 and referred to the Committee on 4 February 2014. It has taken nearly a year and half from introduction to Final Stage.”
“<BR /> <BR />Finally, there would appear to be a leaning towards rising administrative costs for DARD, from £54 million in 2013-14 to £58 million in 2014-15. Recent estimates show a further increase to just over £60 million for 2015-16. Officials advised that the rise in administrative costs is a result of costs for accommodation and shared services across the Civil Service. The figures quoted are added for completeness. The Committee was not entirely convinced by the explanation and will aim to re-examine it at a future date. The Committee also heard from officials that, if the Department has to operate on a budget of 95%, with a 5% cut, difficult decisions will have to be made. We await the outcome of those decisions and the impact that they will have.”
“At the briefing with DARD officials, we learnt that an additional bid of £4·5 million had been made in the June monitoring round, as the baseline of £12·5 million in the Main Estimates was, in fact, incorrect. The Committee was therefore concerned about what the next steps would be for the Department if the money was not allocated via the monitoring round. We questioned the officials accordingly about what impact it would have on the budget. It came as no surprise to hear that the Department has not yet fully thought it through and is in the process of exploring contingencies, which has left the Committee with very little confidence that the Department is devoting time and effort to finding solutions for major problems.”
“Those are questions that we will want to hear answers to. Unfortunately, the officials were unable to provide any further information or clarification on that, other than that letters had been issued to all staff who applied to the scheme. <BR /> <BR />I now turn to the issue of TB compensation, which is an area that has previously been underfunded, and for which the Department has previously had to seek additional funding in monitoring rounds. TB compensation is a high cost to the public purse and has additional costs associated with it, such as testing and research. It is an ongoing problem, and the Department has a statutory responsibility to test and compensate for TB.”
“However, the Minister and her officials have given assurances that payments are the number one priority. The Committee was also relieved to hear from the Minister of Finance and Personnel, during Question Time on 9 June, that she would ensure that measures would be in place to safeguard single basic payments to farmers. That will provide some comfort to the payment recipients. <BR /> <BR />The voluntary exit scheme is expected to make savings of £5·9 million for the Department. Again, the issue of the Budget was raised by Committee members, and questions were asked about the feasibility of the scheme if the Budget were not agreed. What will happen if the money for the scheme is no longer available? How will the Department account for the £5·9 million that it will no longer save if the scheme does not go ahead?”
“At the briefing with the Department, a figure of £245 million was quoted for CAP. Given the vast amount of money, the Committee focused on that issue. As a Committee, we want to ensure that the EU money is paid on time to the farmers and rural communities who are eligible to receive it. <BR /> <BR />This year, the payment of the EU grant is accessed via a system known as the single application form (SAF). The SAF is not new, but the way it is being filled out is. What has complicated the process is that there are now up to five separate sections that a farmer can apply to for payments, each with their own criteria to be met. Given the current impasse with the Budget, Committee members raised concerns that that would have an impact on any payments to farmers, alongside any complexities of the new system.”