Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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392. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers awaiting their basic income for sustainability scheme (BISS) and areas of natural constraint (ANC) payments; the steps he will take to ensure that all farmers awaiting these payments receive them without delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50562/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Every effort has been made by my Department, and will continue to be made, to ensure payments reach the maximum number of eligible applicants as soon as possible.

To date over 90% of eligible BISS applicants have received an advance payment of 70%. The 10% of unpaid applicants are made up of cases where further processing is required, for example, the Department is awaiting further information from the applicant, a penalty is to be applied for non compliance issues, entitlement trades have occurred etc.

89% of eligible ANC applicants have received an advance payment of 85%. The remaining unpaid applicants are those who have not fulfilled scheme criteria in relation to stocking density requirements or applicants with land errors on their Basic Income Support for Sustainability (“BISS”) application. Within this group are a small number unpaid for several reasons including ongoing herd ownership issues e.g., inheritance/deceased cases.

Stocking density requirements are verified weekly against herdowner Animal Identification and Movement (“AIM”) profiles, ensuring applicants who meet their stocking requirements during that time period are cleared for payment.

My Department continuing to process all outstanding cases and communicate with farmers and advisors to ensure as many cases as possible are cleared in advance of balancing payments in early December.

The table below outlines the number of farmers awaiting payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme (“ANC”) and the Basic Income for Sustainability Scheme (“BISS”)