Payments under the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (DAS) have started issuing on schedule today.
“I am particularly pleased to see that these payments, worth some €125M, are issuing on target, particularly given the significance of Direct Aid payments to individual farmers and the wider rural community,” stated Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney TD. “I expect that more than 60,000 eligible farmers will receive their payments in the coming days.”
The minister confirmed that payments will continue to issue each week as individual cases are confirmed eligible for payment.
“While farmers who have yet to satisfy the average stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare for the year have the remaining months of the year to do so, such cases can only be cleared for payment once this requirement has been confirmed.”
The minister continued: “It should also be noted that for those farmers who currently appear ineligible under the stocking provisions can progress their cases if these farmers can submit appropriate evidence to my Department’s Portlaoise Office, following which their payments will then be released.”
The minister also confirmed arrangements are on target to allow payment of the 50 per cent advance of the Single Farm Payment with effect from 16 October.
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