Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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237. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he has made all outstanding farm support payments in 2015; if any payments prior to that are still outstanding and his plans to discharge all such payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7187/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The position in relation to the main farm support payments in 2015 is as follows.

BPS/ANC

My Department has received some 126,0 00 applications under the 2015 Basic Payments Scheme (BPS) from applicants who currently hold entitlements. In addition, over 102,350 applications have been received under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme from applicants with eligible designated lands. Under EU Regulations, all these applications are subject to robust administrative checks prior to payment. The work of my Department in this critical area must meet demanding EU and national audit requirements. Only valid applications under the BPS and ANC that fully comply with the requirements of the EU legislation are paid.

Ireland is among the earliest to pay the BPS/Greening in the Euro pean Union and, to date, 125,377 farmers have received payments totalling €1.140 billion. In relation to the ANC Scheme, I can confirm that payments commenced, on schedule, on 23 September 2015 and that to date, 95,774 farmers have received payments totalling €203 million.  The majority of those not paid under the ANC scheme are ineligible for payment as they have failed to fulfil the stocking requirements under the scheme. My Department is in ongoing communication with a number of applicants who have yet to provide the required evidence to fulfil the stocking requirements. These applicants will be paid as soon as this process is successfully completed.

There are very small numbers of applications under both schemes that have to be processed for payment. As outstanding cases under the BPS and ANC are processed and are cleared of any outstanding error, they will be sent for payment.  My Department is prioritising the processing of all such outstanding cases with regular payment runs continuing over the coming weeks for all fully processed cases.

When entitlements under the 2015 BPS scheme have been definitively allocated over the coming weeks a final balancing payment will issue.

Beef Data and Genomics Programme

In relation to the Beef Data and Genomics Programme, 29,865 applications were received in 2015 of which 4,435 have withdrawn. Payments amounting to some €37m have issued to more 20,000 participants applicants. The remaining herds will be paid as data and genomic requirements are fully met and cases clear.

Forestry

As regards forestry payments my Department processes both first and second grant applications for its two main schemes – the Afforestation Grant and Premium Scheme and the Forest Road Scheme – together with applications under a number of smaller support schemes including Woodland Improvement, NeighbourWood Scheme and Reconstitution (Chalara Fraxinea) Schemes. Payments of valid applications are generally made within the time-limits set in the Farmers Charter.

An online application facility was introduced in 2013 enabling forest owners to apply for their premium payments under the Afforestation Scheme in advance of the annual premium run. For annual paper based applications the annual bulk premium run was paid on 16 April 2015 amounting to €23.73 million. The majority of the online applications, amounting to €35.5 million, were paid between January and March 2015. The total value of forestry premiums paid by the end of 2015 amounted to €73.609 million. Any outstanding grants and premium due for payment in 2015 will be paid as the applications are received and the requirements of the scheme are fully complied with.

Organic Farming Scheme

In relation to the Organic Farming Scheme introduced under the 2007-2013 RDP, €7.5m has been paid. Of 2,279 applicants, 2,072 have received an 85% payment and 328 have received full payment. In relation to the Organic Farming Scheme in the new RDP, €2.7m has been paid. Of some 870 applicants, 842 have received an 85% payment.

GLAS

Some 22,500 applicants under GLAS tranche 1 with contract start dates of 1 October 2015 are due a three month part year payment for the period 1 October 2015 – 31 December 2015.  To date 21,000 applicants have received a first instalment of this 2015 part year payment representing up to 85% of the total due for 2015, with a total value of €13.5m.  The remaining payments and the balancing payments in respect of 2015 are due to be made in May 2016 when all regulatory checks have been completed.

AEOS

Over €79 million was paid out on AEOS in 2015. To date, in excess of 90% of participants have been paid for 2015. Over 550 participants that have received penalties as a result of 2015 on-the-spot inspections are expected to be paid before the end of this month. As all AEOS 1 participants will be receiving their final payments under the scheme, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed. Officials are working through these files, with less than 1,000 remaining to be finalised. Outstanding payments will be made in all cases as soon as possible with over €7 million paid in 2016 to date. A small number of cases for previous years remain to be finalised for a variety of reasons. My Department is in correspondence with these participants and files will be finalised on a case by case basis as issues are resolved.

REPS

In excess of €31.076 million was paid in 2015. 34 participants remain to be paid for 2015 for a variety of reasons. My Department is in correspondence with these participants and files will be finalised on a case by case basis as issues are resolved. A very small number are also outstanding for previous years for similar issues.

TAMS

Payments totalling €24.6m were made across the TAMS 1 Schemes in 2015.  There are approximately 200 outstanding claims for payment in the local offices where additional information is being sought, the majority of these refer to claims made in 2015.