According to Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, 129,000 applications were submitted online for the 2019 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).

The figure is similar to previous years, with just shy of 8,000 applications submitted in the 24 hours before Wednesday’s midnight deadline. There were also 21,140 transfer of entitlement applications submitted.

Attention has now turned to BPS amendments, with the Department advising applicants to make necessary changes before the 31 May deadline, after which stage penalties may arise. Where amendments concern the addition of parcels/plots or a change to an incorrectly claimed area, then this must be submitted via the online system by the 31 May deadline.

Late amendments with additional parcels/plots or amended claimed areas will be accepted up to and including 9 June 2019, but payment on the parcel(s) concerned will be reduced by 1% for each working day in this period that the amendment is late.

The terms and conditions of the scheme add that an applicant may withdraw land, reduce the claimed area of a parcel or change its use from eligible to ineligible (for example, the transfer of a house site) without incurring a penalty at any time after the 31 May 2019 deadline, provided the following aspects have been met:

  • The Department has not notified you about any issues concerning your 2019 BPS application.
  • You have not been notified of an on-the-spot inspection.
  • An on-the-spot inspection does not reveal any non-compliances for the parcel(s) concerned.
  • You have not been either fully or partially paid under the BPS in respect of 2019.
  • In addition, it is permitted to correct obvious or innocent errors at any time after the 31 May 2019 closing date for amendments.

    The declared use of a crop can also be changed, provided the original crop was eligible for payment. The Department states that each request to correct an obvious or innocent error will be considered on its individual merit.

    You may also change a declared crop use, provided that the original crop was eligible for payment.

    You are not entitled to alter the crop use from an ineligible to an eligible crop.

    In the case of all amendment options listed above, amendments will not be authorised where the Department has:

  • Already informed you of irregularities in the application; or
  • Given notice of its intention to carry out an on-the-spot inspection; or
  • Where an on-the-spot inspection reveals irregularities.