Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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460. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to problems with issued knowledge transfer payments particularly for partnership farms; the steps he will take to rectify the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21042/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Knowledge Transfer (KT) is one of a suite of measures included under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 and involves the formation of knowledge transfer groups across the beef, dairy, equine, sheep, tillage and poultry sectors.

Participants attend group meetings and produce a Farm Improvement Plan in consultation with their KT Facilitator. For each year of the three year programme participants receive a payment of €750 for a primary sector and €375 for a secondary sector where all requirements of the programme have been met. Payments under the programme commenced in late October 2017. To date approximately €11 million has issued to over 15,300 farmers. Further pay runs are ongoing.

Officials in my Department are currently examining partnership cases involved in the Knowledge Transfer programme to ensure that all requirements of the programme have been completed in full and that the scheme requirements are fully verified for individual farmers within partnerships.

Every effort is being made to complete this process with a view to paying affected farmers as soon as possible.