Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

409. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why a large number of young farmers who have entered farm partnerships have not received any basic payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1402/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Four hundred and forty young farmers who have entered a farm partnership have submitted their Basic Payment Scheme application under a farm partnership number. To date four hundred and twenty of these have received a payment under the Basic Payment Scheme.

A farm partnership is a legal business arrangement where two or more individuals come together combining their respective resources to achieve mutual benefits. Members of a farm partnership who own individual sets of entitlements receive a combined payment. It is therefore incumbent that my Department identifies and ensures that entitlements held are licensed for use in the partnership. Consequently, should the partnership dissolve the entitlements return to the relevant owners. My Department has established a robust procedure to ensure the implementation and integrity of this identification process.

Processing of the remaining applications will continue and once finalised payments will issue to the nominated bank account of the Farm Partnership concerned.