36,219 farmers still waiting for Dept. of Agriculture payments

Figures released by the Department of Agriculture last week showed 14,096 out of 119,679 applicants had not been paid the first instalment of the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme.

In the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme, 22,123 had not been paid out of 102,385 applicants.

More than 1,000 Basic Payment applicants hadn’t been paid in three counties.

In Cork, out of 12,336, 1,773 were not paid.

In Galway, 1,290 were not paid out of 11,480.

In Mayo, 1,233 were not paid, out of 11,042.

Areas of Natural Constraints first instalments were unpaid to 1049 out of 6,115 applicants in Clare; 1,606 out of 7,079 in Cork; 2,177 out of 8,625 in Donegal; 2,803 out of 12,015 in Galway; 1,857 out of 7,752 in Kerry; 2,696 out of 11,598 in Mayo; and 1,191 out of 5,751 in Roscommon.

Giving the details in a Dáil response to Independent Roscommon Leitrim South TD Denis Naughten, Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said, “Balancing payments of 27% will begin to issue from 1 December, with the final instalment (3%) due for payment in 2016.”

Basic Payment and Greening Payment advances began in Ireland on October 16, set at 70% for 2015, rather than the normal 50%.

The increase is, in particular, due to the difficulties encountered in the dairying and pigmeat sectors.

Minister Coveney said Ireland is among the earliest to pay the BPS in the EU.

As outstanding cases are fully processed and are cleared of any outstanding error, they will be processed for payment.