My Department has made special arrangements to ensure that the non-issue of a herd number by the relevant scheme closing date will not impact negatively on applicants under the Basic Payments Scheme. Where an applicant under the National Reserve priority categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant’ had not been issued a herd number or added to a herd number by the closing date of 31 March 2015, their application under the National Reserve will be accepted once they had applied for a herd number or to be added to a herd number prior to 31st March 2015. Similarly, applicants under the Young Farmers Scheme who have not been issued a herd number or added to a herd number by the closing date of 29 May 2015 will have their applications under the Scheme accepted once they have applied for a herd number or to be added to a herd number prior to 29 May.
As expected, there has been a considerable increase in activity in this area and, to date this year, my Department’s Regional Offices have processed over 3,000 new herd number applications and over 3,200 amendments to existing herd numbers. Approximately 3,000 applications for new herd numbers and amendments to herd numbers are currently on hand and are being dealt with as quickly as possible. However, as I have explained, my Department has already taken steps to ensure that this factor will not negatively impact on farmer applicants under the relevant schemes.
