Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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191. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the basic payments scheme. [61219/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The 2022 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) opened for applications on 16th February 2022 and closed on Monday 16th May at midnight. A total of 128,360 applications were received by the midnight deadline.

Payments began issuing on Monday 17th October 2022, the earliest date possible under EU Regulation. Balancing payments commenced on Thursday 1st December 2022. Since mid-October 2022, my Department has paid out €783 million in BPS payments to 120,542 farmers. I am happy to confirm that all payments commenced on schedule in 2022 and that 99% of all BPS eligible applications are now paid in full.

My Department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as any outstanding queries are addressed. I urge any farmers who have outstanding queries from the Department to respond as soon as possible to facilitate payment.

In 2023, the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) will be replaced by the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. Applications for BISS will be submitted via an online system that builds on the BPS structures currently used.ith an update on their 2023 Payment Entitlements Statement early in 2023.