Around 100,000 farmers will be refunded more than €13.35m in payments under the Government’s Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).
The reimbursement comes after the money was deducted from farmers’ 2019 BPS payments under the Financial Discipline rule.
Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, said he was pleased the payments are now being refunded to eligible farmers.
“These payments will bring the total paid to Irish farmers under the 2019 Basic Payment Scheme to over €1.194bn.”
The mechanism of the Financial Discipline rule is a 1.4 per cent deduction for 2019 which creates a financial Crisis Reserve for the EU.
Additional support for the agricultural sector in the event of major crisis can be drawn from the reserve.
If the Crisis Reserve is not activated or fully utilised in the financial year, the unused balance is refunded to farmers in the following financial year.
LSL News.