The Government will match the €13.7m income support package provided by the European Commission for dairy and pig farmers in September, bringing the total package to €27.4m.

All dairy farmers will receive a flat payment of €1,350 under the support package, while young dairy farmers will get a second €800 top-up, bringing their total support to €2,150. The flat rate of €1,350 is due to be paid before Christmas in 2015 while the extra €800 for young farmers will be paid in early 2016.

One day after the announcement, dairy farmers praised the package, saying it will be "a big help to farmers".

Martin Dowd, who owns a 45-cow dairy herd in Roscommon, said it was to be "welcomed" and will go some way towards making up the difference in income levels suffered by dairy farmers this year.

"Of course farmers would prefer to be getting a fair price for milk rather than relying on sporadic top-up payments, but it will certainly help," he said.

On the issue of whether dairy farmers are more deserving than other sectors such as beef, Martin said dairy farmers are "certainly more entitled" to it this year than other producers, but that could change.

"Dairy farmers suffered a massive drop in incomes this year," he said, "an almost 50% cut. But things are due to look up for the dairy sector in the second half of 2016 while beef prices are forecast to come under pressure. So I think the top-up should be reviewed on an annual basis to see which sector is most deserving."

Martin intends to use the money to aid farm cashflow in the dry period between December and the spring calving season in 2016. "It will help get us through that dry period when no milking is done on the farm until we start calving again next year."

Mary Twomey Casey, who is in a dairy/beef partnership with her husband John Joe in north Cork, said the €1,350 is welcome but that dairy farmers need all the help they can get this year. "It's not enough by any means, but it will provide a buffer for a tough spring in 2016 with milk price not due to recover until the second half of next year."

Is a flat rate a fair way to distribute the money?

"It is the fairest way and it is the quickest," Mary said. "If they were to distribute it on any other basis, it would probably not be paid before Christmas." While she said that dairy was fully deserving of the payment, she thought that tillage farmers should also get a look-in.

"The price of grain took a big hit this year," she said. "In many ways they would be more deserving of a top-up payment than, say, beef."

As for young farmers receiving an extra payment early in 2016, Mary said they totally deserve it. "When we were young we would have needed a helping hand as well," she said. "Young farmers are the ones putting in huge investments and they are the ones we are trying to attract into the industry. It's just a pity I'm not that young any more."

One person who looks set to benefit directly from the top-up is the wife of Co Limerick dairy farmer Tom Cooke. Tom told the Irish Farmers Journal that part of the flat rate payment will be going towards his wife's Christmas present.

"Livestock farmers also deserving of income support"

Responding to the top-up announcement, Independent MEP Marian Harkin said livestock farmers were also deserving of the support paid out to dairy and pig farmers under this emergency measure. "Nobody can begrudge the payment to Ireland’s 18,000 dairy farmers", she said, "but other livestock producers who number over 100,000 must wonder what it takes to have their low incomes better recognised in national and EU polices."

The MEP said the measures introduced by the Belgian and French governments to mitigate the impact of price volatility and assist livestock farmers in 2015 should provide an example for the Irish government.

“The Minister for Agriculture and the Government should recognise the huge export value of Ireland’s livestock sector and play fair in the distribution of any financial supports to Ireland’s farmers,” she said.