Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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308. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants under the areas of natural constraint scheme and the basic payments scheme in 2016; the number of farmers who have received their first payment; who have not received their first payments under the schemes in 2015; the steps he is taking to expedite payments; the amount paid out under each scheme in 2015 to date, in comparison to the amounts paid out under the corresponding disadvantaged areas scheme and the single payment scheme at the same time in 2014; if all data will be broken down by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39615/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme commenced, on schedule, on 23 September, 2015. To date, payments worth €175,008,363 have issued nationally to 82,242 applicants. The total number of eligible applicants is 102,555.

Under the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme, advance payments commenced on 16 October, 2015. To date, payments worth €680,560,743.49 have issued to 107,875 herd-owners. The total number of herd owners who currently have entitlements and who have applied for the scheme is 120, 662.

As the Deputy is aware, a two week extension was granted to this year’s application date for both schemes and the BPS/Greening Schemes are entirely new – this must be borne in mind in any comparison. At this date last year, 84,327 farmers had been paid €178,453,970 under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme. The corresponding figures for the Basic Payment Schemes are 113,991 applicants and a total of €547.7m.

Work is continuing in my Department to prioritise the processing of outstanding cases for payment under both schemes. Regular pay runs are in place to pay applicants as cases are cleared for payment. Balancing payments under the Basic Payments Scheme are due to commence on 1 December.

The further detail requested on a county basis by the Deputy is currently being collated and will be forwarded directly.