Most farmers waiting on payments will be paid within the next “two to three weeks”, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has pledged.

In an exclusive interview with the Irish Farmers Journal, Minister Coveney confirmed that the Department is moving from “one round of payments per week to two rounds of payments per week from next week to get more payments out”.

The minister added that all affected farmers will be paid within the next two to three weeks, with the exception of very complex cases.

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Although 121,000 farmers have been paid thus far, there are still issues with 3,000 farmers involved in partnerships, the Young Farmers Scheme and National Reserve. Just over 50% of all young farmers have been paid. The minister also accepted that there have been serious issues with farmers getting information from the Department.

Listen to extracts from agriculture minister Simon Coveney's interview with Patrick Donohoe in our podcast below: