Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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274. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of persons in counties Cavan and Monaghan who have not received 85% of their total 2016 payment under GLAS 1, GLAS 2 and AEOS; the reasons for this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12433/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the EU Regulations governing GLAS and the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue.

Some 913 farmers are active GLAS 1 and a further 445 are active in GLAS 2 in County Cavan of which 807 in GLAS 1 and 390 in GLAS 2, have successfully completed the GLAS prepayment checks in respect of the 2016 scheme year and a first payment instalment of 85% has issued.

The current position for Cavan is that 106 farmers in GLAS 1 and 55 farmers in GLAS 2 have yet to receive their payment and their applications continue to be processed.

For County Monaghan some 579 farmers are active GLAS 1 and a further 150 are active in GLAS 2 of which 508 in GLAS 1 and 130 in GLAS 2, have successfully completed the GLAS prepayment checks in respect of the 2016 scheme year and a first payment instalment of 85% has issued leaving 71 in GLAS 1 and 20 in GLAS 2 remaining to be paid.

Outstanding payments under both GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 are largely delayed due to declaration of incompatible parcel usage on the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application for a chosen GLAS action; changes in parcel boundaries on which a GLAS action is chosen including splitting or merging of parcels; an applicant no longer claiming a parcel on their 2016 BPS; incomplete documentation such as incorrect information on Low-Emission Slurry Declaration; incomplete interim commonage management plans and incompatible data and parcel history on Department databases.

Payments under the Scheme will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as issues are resolved and cases are cleared for payment.

In respect of AEOS, as all AEOS II 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. This is the same procedure as applied to AEOS 1 participants finishing in that Scheme.

A total of 244 farmers in Co. Cavan were due a 2016 payment in AEOS, of which 198 have been paid and 46 are awaiting payment.

For County Monaghan a total of 151 farmers were due a 2016 payment in AEOS of which 107 have been paid and 44 are awaiting payment.