Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

439. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications to the 2018 national reserve and young farmers scheme by county; the number of persons enrolled in the national reserve and young farmers scheme who have received the advance payment for 2018, by county; the number of persons who have passed all payment approval checks and are awaiting the 85% advance payment for 2018; the number enrolled in the national reserve and young farmers scheme who have yet to receive this 85% advance payment, by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53635/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The number of applications received under the 2018 National Reserve and the 2018 Young Farmers Scheme, by county, is set out in the following table:

In addition to the figures in the table above, there are a small number of further applications to the 2018 National Reserve and the 2018 Young Farmers Scheme which were submitted under temporary reference numbers (where an application for a herd number had been made but not finalised). Therefore the figures in the table above may be subject to change.

There is no advance payment made under the National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme. Payments in full under both schemes commence in early December each year to coincide with payment of Basic Payment Scheme balancing payment. To date almost 90% of 2018 National Reserve applications have been finalised and almost 95% of 2018 Young Farmers Scheme applications have been finalised. The applications that remain outstanding are cases where the Department is working with individual applicants where outstanding information is required to finally process the application or where the necessary administrative and on-farm checks are required to be completed.

Given the very small number of outstanding cases, with single applications remaining outstanding in respect of some counties, it is not appropriate to provide a breakdown of outstanding cases by county as to do so would risk identifying the individuals concerned.