Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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467. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants awaiting areas of natural constraint scheme payments. [41658/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the 2019 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme, some 103,822 applicants hold eligible designated lands. The ANC Scheme is subject to a range of eligibility and compliance criteria, for example, stocking density requirements, and payment cannot issue to herd owners until they have met the relevant criteria. Not all these applicants will be due to receive payments. For example, many will make on-farm decisions in relation to their stocking rates over the course of the year which will impact on their eligibility for payment. Some will only become eligible for payment later in the year.

Payments under the 2019 ANC scheme commenced on schedule in the week commencing of the 16th of September, with payments totalling €168.5m issuing to 79,000 farmers. This is an increase of 2,000 farmers over the number paid at the same point in 2018.

Twice weekly payment runs are currently taking place to ensure that cases that become clear for payment are paid as quickly as possible. To-date, over 85,000 farmers have now received payments totalling €181.9m under the 2019 ANC scheme.

I would remind farmers who have been contacted by the Department with queries to reply as quickly as possible so that the processing of their applications can be completed.