Eco-scheme balancing payments now issuing to farmers
Balancing payments under the 2025 Eco-Scheme have begun today (Tuesday, December 9).
The commencement of the Eco-Scheme balancing payments will bring the total paid under the 2025 Eco-Scheme since October to almost €288 million with 112,610 farmers now in receipt of an Eco-scheme payment.
From today, almost €86 million will issue to farmers in the form of an Eco-Scheme balancing payment.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said: “I am delighted to confirm that balancing payments under the Eco-Scheme worth €85.8 million has commenced today.
"The aim of Ireland’s Eco-Scheme is to reward farmers for undertaking actions beneficial to the climate, environment, water quality and biodiversity.
"Eco-Scheme payments are a vital support for farmers who will have incurred costs or foregone income to meet scheme requirements.
“My department is fully committed to ensuring that all scheme payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible and to ensure that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner," the minister added.
The Eco-Scheme balancing payments are commencing today at a rate of 30%.
Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said it will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria.
Any farmers with outstanding requests for documentation from the department are urged to return them to allow payments to issue.
Farmers wishing to contact the DAFM regarding their Eco-Scheme, Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF), or Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) payments can call the Direct Payments Helpline at 057-8674422.
Farmers can also submit queries via the Agfood portal.
