The information was released by Minister Simon Coveney in the Dáil last week in response to a parliamentry question from Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív.

The total Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 payments in 2011 were €1.968bn in 2011. This fell to €1.862bn in 2012, and then dropped to €1.723bn in 2013. A total of €1,710.4bn was paid out last year. It is estimated that €1,735bn will be spent this year.

Drop

Deputy O'Cuiv said that this represents an average drop of €2,000 per annum for individual farmers in direct payments.

"For the three years 2013/14/ 15, (payments) have now dropped to an average of €1.722bn, a decrease of €243m per annum or 14%. This represents an average drop per farmer in direct payments of €2,000 per annum," he said. "This having effect in the wider community across all businesses, suppliers and services in rural areas."

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CAP 2015: An Introduction to Direct Payments