The Taoiseach has been asked by Cavan-Monaghan TD Brendan Smith to make advanced payments to those farmers who have not received their ACRES payments on time. Deputy Smith, used his time in the Dáil during question time yesterday (Tuesday) to ask the Taoiseach directly to pay 85% of the money due to farmers now. The local TD said he will follow up on the matter "by the end of the week." He told Northern Sound it is not unusual for the Department of Agriculture to make advanced payments like the one he is asking for now.
ACRES, is Ireland’s €1.5 billion Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme which encourages 46,600 participating farmers to address biodiversity decline while delivering an income support. The Department of Agriculture said IT problems in processing scorecards submitted by farmers on the scheme for the delay in payments. Around 18,000 farmers have not received their money which was supposed to be paid by the end of November.
"In the past there's plenty of precedent of the Department of Agriculture paying out an advanced payment," Deputy Smith told Northern Sound, "I have asked the government and the minister to consider issuing an advanced payment to those 18,000 farmers, taking into account the considerable costs they have incurred participating in the scheme and they also need the income part of that to meet day-to-day costs for their own families and costs with running their farms as well."
