The €13.7m EU income support for dairy and pig farmers will be paid out before year end, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney told the Irish Farmers Journal this week. He remains in negotiation with Government colleagues regarding a top-up to the funding from the national exchequer.

In recent days, it emerged that the EU Commission had extended to the end of March 2016 the deadline by which member states must pay out the €420m funding.

Paid out

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A number of EU member states have already paid out the funding, along with top-ups from national budgets. Minister Coveney recently gave a commitment that he would include a top-up for young dairy farmers when he implements the scheme.