2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme

The Scheme is a one-year Scheme aimed at assisting farmers to produce better quality animals and implement practical animal welfare measures on their farms.

The 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS) measures are additional to those in the Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) and must be applied for separately.

• You must have an ovine active DAFM Herd Number.

• You must be farming a holding in respect of which a valid 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Application is submitted to the Department, within the required application period.

• You must have submitted a 2024 National Sheep Census by the 28 February 2025.

• There are 5 actions in the Scheme and applicants are required to complete 2 actions from Category A which are mandatory actions and 1 action from Category B which are optional or voluntary actions, therefore three (3) actions overall if they wish to receive the full €13 payment.Completion of the 3 chosen actions are mandatory for full payment of €13 per ewe.

Payment will be per eligible Breeding Ewe and payment for full scheme compliance will be €13 per ewe where a farmer has selected and delivered two Category A actions and one Category B action.

Where a farmer has applied for only two Category A actions i.e., DID NOT APPLY for a Category B action, their full scheme payment will be €8 per ewe subject to compliance with all scheme terms and conditions.

The Scheme will run from 01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.

Actions selected must be completed by 17th October 2025, however applicants who are unable to compete their choses actions by this date can select the later date of 28th November 2025 when completing their application form on-line. Applicants should note that should they choose the later completion date, payment will not issue until January 2026 at the earliest. If you wish to select the later completion date, THIS MUST be done at application stage. It will not be possible to change the completion dates after submission of your application. In addition, if you select the later completion date, that is for all your actions selected, not just a specific action(s).

Reductions in payment will apply where not all actions are completed.

• Applications can only be made using the online facility at www.agfood.ie either by the applicant themselves or by an approved FAS advisor authorised to act on their behalf. Applicants not already registered for the Department’s online services will need to register first at www.agfood.ie .

• Application opening date is 28th March 2025.

• Application closing date is Tuesday 15 May 2025, followed by 25 calendar day late application. Late applications closing date Saturday 9 June 2025.

• Applicants must ensure their application is correct as errors and omissions cannot be rectified afterwards.

• Applicants (or FAS advisors authorised to act on their behalf) need to ensure they click the “submit” button to actually submit their application prior to exiting the system. Failure to click on the “submit” button will mean your application has NOT been submitted.

• If you have forgotten your Agfood.ie PAC, Password, or are having any difficulties logging on, you can e-mail the Department at agfood@agriculture.gov.ie or Telephone: 049 4368288.

• Category A Action (Mandatory) descriptions can be found in Annex 1, Applicants MUST Select 2 actions from Category A.

**Category B Action (Optional) descriptions can be found in Annex 2, Applicants CAN Select 1 action from Category B.