IRISH FARMERS received a total of €2.630 billion in EU and State funding in 2008. This week they will get details of all payments made last year
According to a statement from Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith, there were 141,000 payments.
The total payments from the EU came to €1.293 billion. This came in the single-farm payment which contains all payments from EU-funded schemes.
Payments of €309 million were also made under the rural environment protection (Reps) scheme which is partially paid for by the Irish taxpayer. Farmers also received farm investment aid which includes the controversial farm-waste management scheme which is totally funded by the State totalling €412 million.
Recipients also received income supports in disadvantaged areas worth €254 million, and payments of €103 million were made under the rural development afforestation programmes.
The Minister also gave a breakdown of the payments which showed the national average payment was €18,690.
In the three Ulster counties the payout was €322.7 million and the average payment was €17,360. In Connacht the payout was €561.3 million, with a regional average of €13,707.
In Leinster €827.2 million was paid out, and the average payment was €24,011. In Munster the payments came to €918.8 million, and they averaged €19,663.
Farm organisations are currently in dispute with the Minister over his failure to pay out an additional €500 million owed to 17,400 farmers who finished farm-waste management work by December 31st.