The Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, TD announced today that he has submitted a request to the EU Commission for early receipt of €600m in EU Farm Payments.
Countries seeking advance payment must make an application to the Commission as it is only allowed under “exceptional circumstances”.
The Minister has stated that the funding is vital at this time due to the difficulty in accessing credit and maintaining re-payments on borrowings.
The €600m will go towards the Single Farm Payment which forms a significant part of the annual income of all farmers in Ireland. If granted by the Commission, farmers will receive the funding in October, two months earlier than normal.