Some €13.35m has started to issue to 100,000 farmers in Basic Payment Scheme refunds, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has announced.

This money was deducted from their 2018 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments under the financial discipline rule and is now being reimbursed in line with the EU regulations.

“I am pleased to confirm that these payments are now being reimbursed to eligible farmers.

“These payments will bring the total paid to Irish farmers under the 2019 Basic Payment Scheme to over €1.192bn,” he said.

The refund is an annual payment refund to farmers, as each year money is deducted to create a crisis reserve for the European Union.

The crisis reserve is intended to provide additional support for the agricultural sector in the case of major crises affecting agricultural production or distribution.

In the event that the crisis reserve is not activated in the financial year, or it is not fully utilised, the unused balance is refunded to farmers in the subsequent financial year.

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