Ten per cent of national farm assist payments go to Galway

Galway Bay fm newsroom - Ten per cent of the country's farm assist payments are being claimed by Galway farmers.

The means tested payment is a support scheme for low income farmers and is available through the Department of Social Protection.

Galway has the third highest rate of claimants in the country behind Mayo and Donegal.

Nationally the number of recipients of the payment is at its lowest in five years.

However according to the Farmer's Independent, this is due to claimants moving from the farm assist payment to the state pension, as over 66 per cent of recipients are over the age of 50.