Fianna Fáil TD for County Louth, Erin McGreehan, has confirmed that 1,279 farmers across the county will receive over €6.5 million in advance payments under the 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and the Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS).

These payments provide direct income support to Irish farmers and underpin their continued sustainability and viability.

Together, these payments are worth over €510.9 million and will benefit 110,499 farmers nationwide. Advance payments will begin on Thursday, 16 October.

Speaking on the announcement, Deputy McGreehan said:

“Farmers are the ones who feed the country. Without them, there would be no food on our shelves. They ensure sustainable food production for a growing population and are a vital driver of the rural economy.

“These payments are a critical support for family farms. In the coming days, farmers across the county and around the country will begin to see these payments reflected in their bank accounts.

“These supports will help safeguard family farms’ incomes, particularly at a time when the cost of farming continues to rise. They will provide a more stable and reliable source of income that farmers can depend on.”

“There are 130,000 farms across the country, and it must always remain an absolute priority for this Government to strengthen and support their incomes.”

Concluding, she added:

“As Ireland prepares to hold the EU Presidency in 2026, it will be a key priority to protect farmers at an EU level. 

“Fianna Fáil will continue to stand firmly behind farmers and ensure that payments under the CAP, such as those announced today, are protected. Our goal is to guarantee income stability and sustainability for farmers across Ireland.”

For further information, reach out to Erin McGreehan.

-ENDS-

Note to Editor

• By close of applications on the 15 May Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine had received 123,705 applications from farmers, at present 117,713 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.

For more information, visit www.gov.ie/cap.

County-by-County Breakdown of Payments