Minister McConalogue announces €506m in payments to 110,186 farmers
- Published on: 16 October 2024
- Last updated on: 17 October 2024
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D., today announced the commencement of advance payments under the 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS).
The Minister said:
“I am delighted to confirm that advance payments under the BISS & CRISS, worth over €506 million to 110,186 farmers, have commenced today. Given that these payments are critical to family farm income and a vital support for farmers as well as the rural economy, I am pleased to have delivered payment levels this year that far exceed what was achieved at the commencement of payments in 2023. This means that 6,000 more farmers have been paid and €54m more in payments has gone out this year compared to the commencement of payments in 2023.”
The Minister continued:
"Given the importance of scheme payments to farmers, I committed to ensuring that these payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible to ensure that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner. Payment dates for 2024 have reverted to the payment schedule in place in previous years as committed to. Today 93% of applicants have been paid which is in line with our commitment under the Farmers Charter to pay 90% of eligible applications.”
Concluding, the Minister said:
“The BISS & CRISS advance payments are commencing today at a rate of 70%. Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and the department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria. I would urge any farmers with outstanding requests for documentation from the department to return to allow payments to issue.”
Payments under the 2024 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC), which commenced last month, are also continuing as more cases are cleared for payment and 2024 payments under the Eco-Scheme will commence from next week.
To facilitate farmers wishing to contact the department regarding their BISS or ANC payments, extended hours are in place for the Direct Payments Helpdesk. From Monday 14 October to Friday 18 October, the Helpdesk will be available up to 8.30pm. Farmers can ring the Helpdesk at 057-8674422. Farmers can also submit any queries they may have online via www.agfood.ie.
ENDS
Note to Editor
• By close of applications on the 15th May DAFM had received 124,274 applications from farmers, at present 118,395 are eligible for payment under BISS and CRISS. There are a number of reasons why an application may be deemed ineligible for payment under the BISS, such as the applicant not holding payment entitlements, a claimed area of zero declared on the application or the applicant does not have eligible land.
• The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between society and agriculture that ensures a stable supply of food, safeguards farmers’ income, protects the environment and keeps rural areas vibrant. EU countries implement the CAP at national level with an adopted CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
• The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability.
• The Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) is a new scheme that is designed to redistribute CAP funds from larger farms to medium and smaller sized farms.
• The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) and Eco-Scheme are funded by the EU.
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