Advanced payments under the Basic Payment Scheme, worth €732m to farmers, started to issue to farmers on Tuesday 16 October Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has announced.

“I am happy to confirm that advance payments under the BPS, worth €732m to 113,000 farmers, have commenced.

“These payments are a vital support for farmers across the sector in maximising cashflow and are particularly welcome at this time in light of the adverse weather conditions experienced on Irish farms this year.

“A key priority for my Department was to get these payments out to the greatest number of farmers possible at the earliest date allowed under EU legislation, subject to the necessary requirements of the schemes being met.

"With this in mind, I also secured EU Commission agreement for a higher advance payment of 70% for 2018 rather than 50% as provided for in the EU legislation.”

Minister Creed said that 93% of eligible applicants for the BPS have now been paid in this first tranche.

“The success of our move to full online applications this year has helped us to deliver further efficiencies in the processing of payments which are of direct benefit to farmers,” he said.

ANC payments

Payments under the 2018 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC) also continue to issue as cases are cleared for payment.

The Minister added that “the advance BPS payment and the ANC payments taken together mean that almost €935m has now issued to Irish farmers in the last month”.

Payments will continue to issue under both schemes as individual cases are cleared, and regular pay runs will be in place over the coming weeks to ensure this, he added.

In order to facilitate farmers who wish to contact the Department in relation to their BPS or ANC payments, extended hours are now in place for the direct payments helpline.

For the period from 17 to 27 October, farmers can ring the Department at 076 106 4420 between 9am and 8.30pm on weekdays and between 9am and 1pm on Saturday 20 October and Saturday 27 October.

The Minister confirmed that balancing payments under the 2018 BPS, as well as payments under the Young Farmers Scheme and National Reserve, are scheduled to commence issuing from the start of December, followed by payments under the coupled Protein Aid Scheme.