Processing of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) applications hit peak activity from Thursday to Monday, with over 34,000 applications submitted before the 16 May deadline.

A high percentage of applicants took advantage of the flexible arrangements put in place with Department offices in Portlaoise open over the weekend, along with a dedicated helpline for phone queries.

In total, there were over 130,700 BPS applications (100,700 online and over 30,000 paper) submitted in 2016. The Department has been strongly encouraging applicants to apply online and with 100,700 online applications received, is well on the way to meeting EU regulations to move to 75% online applications by 2017 and 100% online by 2018.

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A small number of late applications are being submitted on a daily basis. Late applications are subject to a 1% deduction in payment across all schemes for every working day until 10 June, after which applications will not be eligible for payment.

Amendments

Amendments can be made to a BPS application online or through hard copy amendments. Forms can be downloaded under the farming schemes and payments section at www.agriculture.gov.ie and where sending by post, the amendment and any supporting documentation should be sent to BPS Co-ordination Unit, DAFM, Government Buildings, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois.

The deadline for BPS amendments is 31 May. After this date, amendments involving the addition of agricultural parcels or amended claimed areas will be subject to a 1% penalty per working day and will only be accepted up to 10 June 2016. This penalty will be applied to the additional parcel(s) declared on the amendment form. The BPS amendment form may also be used to correct an obvious/innocent error (for example missing details such as land ownership or parcel use). Further information is available on the amendment form and also in the BPS terms and conditions received earlier this year with paper application forms.