The Department of Agriculture is set to announce a series of events to help farmers make their Basic Payment Scheme application online.
It is understood that the Department has committed to running a series of regionally dispersed workshops providing technical guidance to farmers on how to complete their applications online.
The service will be particularly targeted at farmers in GLAS that are current using the paper method of application.
It is understood that the Department will be writing to farmers in the coming week to inform them of the availability of the service and the location of the nearest event.
New EU Commission regulations will see all Basic Payment Scheme applications made online by 2018.
According to the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney the regulations set out that Member States shall provide for online applications, and that 75% of beneficiaries in 2017 and all beneficiaries in 2018 must apply online.
“In order to ensure that these regulatory requirements are met, my Department has been moving certain categories of farmers to online application in 2015 and 2016,” the Minister said recently.
He added that this process will continue as we move towards the 2018 regulatory target.
Within this context, the Department says it has put in place a rigorous system of support for online applicants via a dedicated helpdesk, and more targeted supports will be in place as the process continues to ensure access to the Basic Payment Scheme is not impeded.
According to the Minister, online application involves a range of advantages for farmers, which will help to ensure the continued efficient and effective delivery of these vital payments.
Online applications will increase again this year and should exceed 100,000, as farmers that have applied for GLAS have already used the online system.
He said an additional 4,600 farmers in GLAS will be moving from a manual to an online application for BPS.
Last year, some 93,000 farmers or 70% of all applicants, made their application online. There are approximately 40,000 farmers still using manual applications.