Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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425. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of knowledge transfer programme payments that are outstanding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53498/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Knowledge Transfer (KT) Programme is a three year scheme. The first two years of the Programme have been completed.

In Year 1 there were approximately 19,100 eligible participants of which approximately 19,000 have been paid a total of €12.5m. Remaining applications are being cleared on a case by case basis.

Following the conclusion of year 2 of the KT Programme some 18,700 participants are due a full or partial payment. Payments to farmers in respect of year 2 of the programme commenced in October 2018 in line with the Farmers Charter commitment, with some €9.9m issuing to almost 15,400 farmers. The remaining year 2 participant payments are being processed as a matter of priority and payments are continuing as more farmers meet their commitments to qualify for payment.

In addition to the farmer payments, facilitator payments of approximately €12.9m have also issued in respect of year 1 and year 2 combined. The facilitator payment is made once the 25 working day participant pay-over period has elapsed and the Department receives confirmation from the facilitator that the farmer payments have been made via the appropriate procedures.