More than 1,270 applications were submitted to the €100m Fuel Income Support Scheme in its first two days, the Department of Agriculture has said.

The scheme opened on Wednesday and by close of business on Thursday 7 May, over 1,270 applications had been received.

Farmers will be paid approximately 20c/l under the scheme, with a minimum payment of €100. No maximum limit on payments has been set to date, as this will depend on applications to the scheme.

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The total payment each applicant will receive will be calculated once all claims have been submitted. The request from stakeholder organisations was that payments should issue as soon as possible.

This guided decisions relating to the dates for both scheme opening and closing, the Department said.

Scheme design

Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said the scheme is straightforward, targeted and capable of getting money to farmers and farm contractors very quickly.

“The need for payments to start as soon as possible has been emphasised and we are enabling this and will continue to assist both farmers and farm contractors with their applications.”

The Department engaged with representative bodies in terms of scheme design and operation on an ongoing basis, with a meeting held on the morning of the scheme opening with stakeholders to demonstrate the application system.

The Department said it will continue to assist both farmers and contractors with their applications.