Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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249. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason for the delay in issuing outstanding payments for 2015 under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21612/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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For GLAS Tranche 1 applications with a start-date of 1 October 2015 and which have GLAS actions which are payable in 2015 are eligible for a 2015 part-year payment (covering the three month period 1 October -31 December 2015). Under EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administration check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue.

Some 20,400 applicants have successfully completed the pre payment validation checks and have received the first instalment, representing up to 85%, of their 2015 part year payment. However, there are a number of applications, remaining which have not passed all of the Department’s pre-payment validation checks for 2015. The Department is continuing to investigate these issues including the correction of any IT or data issues with a view to all these remaining cases meeting the payment validation checks so that they will be paid the full amount of their 2015 part-year payment at the same time the 2015 GLAS balancing payment which is expected to issue shortly.