Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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768. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments under the areas of natural constraint scheme will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22803/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Payments under the 2016 Areas of Natural Constraints and Areas of Specific Constraints (Island) Scheme can only commence once the rigorous set of checks and controls required by EU regulation are completed. As with previous years, payments for the 2016 scheme are scheduled to begin issuing in the third week of September. This schedule is in line the timelines agreed in the Farmers’ Charter, and ensures that my Department is amongst the earliest Member States in the EU to commence payment under the scheme each year.