Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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368. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the 2015 areas of natural constraint scheme and the basic payment scheme; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34236/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2015 Basic Payments Scheme was received from the person named on 11 May 2015. I am pleased to confirm that advance payments under the Basic Payments Scheme will commence in Ireland on 16 October 2015, which is the earliest that payments can commence under the governing EU Regulations. In addition, I can confirm that the level of the advance payment is set at 70% for 2015 rather than the normal 50%. The increase in the advance payment for 2015 is, in particular, due to the difficulties encountered in the dairying and pigmeat sectors. Payments under the Basic Payment Scheme will commence in respect of all applicants whose applications are fully processed and who have no outstanding errors from 16 October 2015.

An application under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme was received from the person named on 11 May 2015. However, payment has not yet issued as the holding of the person named has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements for 2015.

Under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme, eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of seven consecutive months in addition to maintaining an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year.

When the holding concerned is confirmed as having met these requirements, the case will be further processed with a view to payment issuing to the person named at the earliest possible date, provided all other Scheme requirements have been satisfied.