Ten thousand, two hundred and seventy seven Mayo farmers have been in receipt of Single Farm Payment to date, with 10,192 receiving payment under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
Fine Gael TD for Mayo, Deputy Michelle Mulherin said the level of farm payments paid out by the Minister for Agriculture to Mayo farmers so far this year highlights his awareness of the needs of the farming community and the importance of ensuring that prompt payments are being made.
“10,192 Mayo farmers have received payment under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme payment, which commenced just six weeks ago. This represents over 87 per cent of applicants who applied for the scheme in the Mayo area. This scheme will see payments being made to approximately 100,000 farmers nationwide and with 85 per cent of payments having already been made, the Department is working with the remaining applicants to ensure that the appropriate documentation is submitted and that outstanding payments are paid.”
Deputy Mulherin added that: “Where the Single Farm Payment is concerned, information revealed to me shows that 10,277 out of 12,137 applicants to the scheme in Mayo have already received payment. These payments are issuing six weeks ahead of the scheduled payment date laid down in EU regulations due to the case Minister Coveney made to the EU Commissioner earlier this year. By year end, the vast bulk of the SFP will have been paid, the total value of which will be in excess of €1.2bn.”
The deputy concluded that: “Farm families have experienced much hardship in recent years, with many struggling to keep their heads above water. I appreciate Minister Coveney’s haste in dealing with farm payment schemes to date and look forward to the remaining payments being made in a timely manner so that farmers’ money worries can be alleviated and they can get on with doing what they do best.”
