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Minister Coveney Announces Advance Payments of €540 Million under the 2013 Single Payments Scheme

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, TD, today announced the commencement of advance payments under the 2013 Single Payments Scheme. ‘I am particularly pleased that these payments, worth €540 million to 108,000 farmers, have begun issuing today’ the Minister said. ‘It will be recalled that, earlier this year, mindful of farmers’ cash flow and particular of the very adverse weather endured on Irish farms, I approached the EU Agriculture Commissioner, seeking approval to make these payments earlier than provided for under the regulations. As a result of the arguments put forward, agreement was forthcoming, and these payments are being made six weeks earlier than would otherwise be the case’ he added.

The Minister confirmed that advance payments would continue issuing twice weekly up until 30 November, with balancing payments to issue as and from the 1st of December. ‘While payments are continuing to issue as cases become clear, I would urge anybody who has received correspondence from my Department highlighting problems in relation to their application, to respond without delay as, by doing so, those cases can then be processed to finality and payments issued’ the Minister said.

The Minister noted that these payments follow the payments under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, which began issuing three weeks ago. ‘To date, €169 million has been paid out under DAS, to over 80,000 farmers’ the Minister noted.

I can assure farmers that payments will continue to issue under both schemes, on an ongoing basis, as individual cases are cleared" the Minister emphasised, adding "my aim continues to be to maximise payments to farmers at the earliest possible date, subject to the necessary requirements of the Schemes being met".

Date Released: 16 October 2013