Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has ruled out making a second interim payment to farmers still waiting for payment under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

There are 10,000 farmers in the scheme waiting for balancing payments for 2023 and 2024. Of these, 2,700 are waiting for 2023 money. Some 700 of these farmers are expecting to be paid this week.

“It is not the Minister’s intention to issue any further interim payments due to the focus on progressing the outstanding cases and on ensuring these balancing payments are delivered on time,” a spokesperson for the Minister told the Irish Farmers Journal on Wednesday.

IFA Connacht chair Brendan Golden called for the second interim payment. “Farmers need to get paid. This debacle needs to end,” he said.

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