5,580 Clare farmers have received more than €30 million through advance payments of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has confirmed.
“Advance payments under the BPS, worth €747 million to 114,500 farmers have been issued, including €30,329,498 to Clare farmers which equates to an average payment of €5,435.
“These payments are a vital support for farmers across the country and contribute greatly to maximising income and cashflow in the sector,” Deputy Carey said.
“A key priority for Fine Gael is to issue payments to the greatest number of farmers possible at the earliest date allowed under EU legislation, subject to the necessary requirements of the Schemes being met.
“With this in mind, the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed also secured EU Commission agreement for a higher advance payment of 70 per cent for 2019 rather than 50 per cent as provided for in the EU legislation.”
“Compared to the advance payments made at this stage last year, an additional 1,500 farmers have received an advance payment in the first run of payments this year. This represents an additional €15 million. In all, some 94 per cent of eligible applicants for the 2019 BPS are receiving their advance payment at the earliest date possible.
“The Department of Agriculture continues to work to maximise the efficiency with which these payments are made to farmers, and I am very conscious of the importance that such payments have for farmers.”
“Payments under the 2019 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC) also continue to issue as cases are cleared for payment.
“The advance BPS payment and the advance ANC payments taken together mean that some €932 million has now issued to Irish farmers in the last month,” Deputy Carey concluded.
