Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed announced the refunds this Monday, averaging €136 for 97,000 farmers concerned. This money was deducted from any BPS payment over €2,000 in 2016 for a EU crisis reserve. Despite market and weather challenges last year, the EU did not use the €433m set aside for the reserve.

Last November, the European Commission authorised member states to reimburse the funds to farmers as of 1 December 2017.

Minister Creed said that these payments will bring the total BPS payments to Irish farmers for 2017 to €1.19bn.

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Direct payments to farmers may be hit to fund crisis reserve