They are already calling it "The Twelfth Protocol", the agreement announced yesterday on a swifter way to get to farmers the cheque in the post, which this year will be worth £1 billion in EU and other supports.
The protocol on direct payments to farmers may bring an end to the "war" between the farm organisations and the Department over delays in payment. The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, who announced details of the protocol, said it would help bring an end to the so-called war but jokingly predicted that "skirmishes" would continue.
This was confirmed by the secretary of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Michael Berkery, who alluded to another prominent Irishman in saying: "We are not going to go away, you know".
The protocol is a Department agreement to provide an efficient, responsive and user-friendly service to farmers, who are entitled, according to the Minister, to reliable, prompt and courteous services.
The Minister referred to "farmer-clients", who relied so heavily on the payments which account for up to 75 per cent of farm income.
The protocol, he said, would, in time, see electronic transfer of funds to farmers which would replace the cheque in the post, and much more use of the Department's information technology systems.
Central to this will be a final effort to bring the Department's computerised cattle movement monitoring system up to date, with a "mini-bovine census" early next year, when it is hoped all eight million cattle in the State will be accounted for.
The agreement provides for "sensitive" treatment of farmers. The parity of esteem clause states: "All applicants will be treated sensitively, according to their particular circumstances, in a manner which is consistent with the law or other rules governing their entitlements".
A Freephone line has been set up to handle complaints and a quality services unit will be set up to ensure all complaints are dealt with speedily.
The agreement specifies the minimum level of on-farm inspections, which run from 5 per cent for the disadvantaged areas compensatory allowances to 50 per cent for the REPS scheme in the first year, and 100 per cent pre-inspection in the farm waste management scheme.
However, the farmers will be required to provide their personal public services number when applying for schemes, to facilitate identification and cross-referencing across schemes.
The protocol will be monitored by a committee under an independent chairman.
The protocol will be put in place with the assistance of the additional staff sanctioned by the Government to ensure implementation of the scheme, in accordance with the social partnership in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, where the importance of direct payments to farmers was identified.
Yesterday's announcement at the Department of Agriculture was attended by representatives of the farming organisations and senior civil servants who negotiated the accord.