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Minister Creed announces commencement of Year 3 Balancing Payments under the Sheep Welfare Scheme
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D., announced today the commencement of balancing payments under Year 3 of the Sheep Welfare Scheme. The Scheme is co-funded by the European Union as part of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020.
Minister Creed stated,
I am happy to confirm that the issuing of the 15% balancing payments under the Sheep Welfare Scheme has now commenced. This payment amounts to €1.82M, and is a welcome financial support at this time when farmers are facing challenging circumstances.
The commencement of the balancing payments brings the total paid under Year 3 of the Sheep Welfare Scheme to €16 million to some 18,500 farmers, providing a significant financial boost to the individual farmers, the sheep sector in general and the wider rural economy.
The Minister concluded by urging farmers with outstanding queries to respond to the Department immediately in order to facilitate payment. Payments will continue to issue on an ongoing basis as eligibility is confirmed for farmers with outstanding queries.