Balancing payments under the 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistribution of Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) schemes have commenced.

Outgoing Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue confirmed the commencement, which will bring the total paid under the 2024 scheme to €807m, with 116,449 farmers now in receipt of a payment under this scheme.

This means that €270m will issue to farmers from Monday 2 December in the form of a balancing payment, with 98% of eligible applicants now in receipt of a payment under this scheme.

McConalogue said that the BISS is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability.

“This €807m, paid under the 2024 BISS and CRISS, is a vital support for farm families across the country and to the overall rural economy.”

CISYF

Payments under the 2024 Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF) have also commenced.

This means that a total of €31m is being paid out under this scheme to 5,584 young farmers.

“Supporting young people to kickstart their careers in farming is important, not only to those individual young farmers but to the sector at large, as they are so important to its future,” said McConalogue.

“To help them succeed in their businesses, I trebled the value of the young farmers payments in this current CAP programme and I am glad to see many young farmers now benefitting from the scheme.”

Queries

The minister urged any farmers who have outstanding queries to respond to his Department as soon as possible to facilitate payment.

Queries can be made by phone to the direct payments helpline at 057-867 4422 and online via the Department of Agriculture website.

“Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and my Department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as any outstanding queries are addressed,” added McConalogue.