Press release
Balancing BISS & CRISS and CISYF payments commence
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, has confirmed that the balancing payments under the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistribution of Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) have commenced today.
BISS is a direct income support to farmers, while CRISS is a measure designed to progress a fairer distribution of payments.
The commencement of the BISS and CRISS balancing payments will bring the total paid under the 2023 Scheme to €749 million with 113,911 farmers now in receipt of a payment under this scheme. €264 million will issue to farmers from today in the form of a balancing payment.
Minister McConalogue said:
“Since October, we have paid out €485 million in BISS and CRISS advance payments to 109,104 farmers. Some 93% of all eligible farmers have received a 70% advance payment. I am happy to confirm that the 30% balancing payments under the BISS and CRISS have now commenced and are on schedule.”
The Minister added:
“The efficient issuing of scheme payments is a key priority for me and my department. The €749 million paid to date under the 2023 BISS and CRISS is a vital support for farm families across the country and to the overall rural economy.”
The Minister also confirmed that payments under the 2023 Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF) will also commence today.
The Minister said:
"I am pleased that payments under the CISYF are also being issued as these payments play a crucial role in supporting young farmers.”
The Minister concluded:
“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 any outstanding queries are addressed.”
The Minister urged any farmers who have outstanding queries from the department to respond as soon as possible to facilitate payment.
Farmers wishing to contact the department regarding their BISS or CISYF payment, can ring the Direct Payments Helpline at 057-8674422. Farmers can also submit any queries they may have online via agfood.ie, where a detailed breakdown of payments can also be accessed.
The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) replaces the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). The BISS is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability.
Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) is a new scheme that is often referred to as “front loading”. It is designed to redistribute CAP funds from larger farms to medium and smaller sized farms. CRISS is paid to all active farmers on their first 30 hectares.
The Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF) is a payment made to farmers under the age of 40 who are educated in agriculture to help them succeed in farming. It can be paid for up to 5 years. It is a follow-on scheme to the Young Farmers Scheme and young farmers can move across to the new scheme for the remainder of their 5-year term of eligibility.
It is important to note that payments may take up to 5 days to reach farmers' accounts.