Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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869. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the budgetary allocations for BPS payments outlined in budget 2019; the actual amount paid out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36150/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Financial allocations for the Basic Payment Scheme are not set by the national budgetary process in the same way as, for example, schemes such as the Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme and the Sheep Welfare Scheme that are financed by the Rural Development Programme. Rather, ceilings are set for Direct Payments Schemes by the EU Regulations. 

For 2019, EU Regulations set out a total ceiling of €1,211,066,000 for the  2019 calendar year.  This incorporates  BPS, the Young Farmer Scheme, the Greening Scheme, and the Protein Aid Scheme.  The ceiling is fully committed on the basis of payment entitlements for the BPS, and the allocations for the other three schemes.  It is not the case, however, that all committed entitlements in a given year will be activated by farmers for payment.

A total of €1,202,742,529 was paid in the calendar year 2019 across the four Direct Payment Schemes.  As 2019 applications continue to be cleared and paid, this expenditure will also be set against the 2019 ceilings.