Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who applied for the areas of natural constraint scheme and for the basic payment scheme and the number who have been paid, by county, in 2015 to date, in tabular form; the amount paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41914/15]

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 €177.5m have issued to 83,294 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 €725.7m have issued to 114,372 applicants. The total number of applicants who currently have entitlements and who have applied for the scheme is 120,963.

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 once available. Further to Parliamentary Question No. 308 of 10 October 2015, reference No. PQ39615/15, similar information has recently been finalised and forwarded directly to the Deputy.