Farmers who were banking with Ulster Bank and have now switched to a new bank have been warned to notify the Department of their new account number by Department official Fran Morrin.

“Please don’t forget to tell the Department your new account number so that we can make sure payments go out to you.

“Please don’t forget to tell us your new banking details,” he told farmers in Tuam last week.

Some 4,500 farmers have yet to switch over to another bank from Ulster Bank, which is exiting the Irish market.

Progress

A Department spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal: “In the recent payment of the Basic Payment Scheme advance, which issued in mid-October, some 4,500 payments were issued into Ulster Bank accounts. In the equivalent 2021 payment run, over 13,000 payments issued to Ulster Bank accounts, so good progress has been made by farmers in moving their payments to an alternative bank account.

“The Department would, however, encourage any farmers who have yet to update their new account details to do so as soon as possible, to ensure uninterrupted receipt of their scheme payments,” the spokesperson said.