Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 May 2018
374. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the deadline for basic payment scheme applications will be extended to 15 June 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19676/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing recent discussion at EU level, the EU Commission is currently drafting legislation in relation to an extension to the deadline for the submission of BPS applications. Any such extension would be voluntary for Member States. Ireland has not requested a deadline extension in respect of BPS applications.
2018 is the first year that all BPS applications are to be made online, and in 2017 114,000 BPS applications were made online. In order to support farmers in making the move to online applications my Department has put in place a range of supports for farmers. The Department is in ongoing contact with farmers in order to ensure that all applications are made online by 15 May. Over 90,000 farmers have already applied online, and the overall application rate is ahead of previous years.
It should be noted that any extension to the deadline for receipt of applications would have an adverse impact on the delivery of BPS payments in October 2018.
