How much of the BISS advance payments will your county get?
Earlier today (Wednesday, October 15), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine announced that €510.9 million in advance direct payments will be paid to 110,499 applicants.
The advance payments under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and the Complimentary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) are expected to be made from tomorrow (Thursday, October 16).
By close of applications on May 15, the department had received 123,705 applications from farmers.
At present, 117,713 are eligible for payment under BISS and CRISS.
The department said there are a number of reasons why an application may be deemed ineligible for payment under BISS, such as the applicant not holding payment entitlements, a claimed area of 'zero' declared on the application, or the applicant not having eligible land.
The €510.9 million to be paid in advance payments varies considerably from county to county, with just under €3 million for Co. Dublin to over €60.5 million for Co. Cork.
The county by county breakdown is outlined in the following table:
| County | No. of herds | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Carlow | 1,435 | €8,146,980.23 |
| Cavan | 4,346 | €15,948,572.92 |
| Clare | 5,596 | €23,081,958.08 |
| Cork | 11,121 | €60,697,584.05 |
| Donegal | 7,701 | €29,429,014.38 |
| Dublin | 492 | €2,992,802.01 |
| Galway | 10,621 | €40,006,725.23 |
| Kerry | 6,809 | €32,999,724.93 |
| Kildare | 1,801 | €10,925,566.73 |
| Kikenny | 2,932 | €18,752,291.68 |
| Laois | 2,537 | €14,191,013.53 |
| Leitrim | 3,153 | €10,968,824.43 |
| Limerick | 4,467 | €21,475,467.04 |
| Longford | 2,175 | €8,350,565.43 |
| Louth | 1,279 | €6,596,458.01 |
| Mayo | 9,997 | €36,055,101.41 |
| Meath | 3,307 | €19,283,118.87 |
| Monaghan | 3,591 | €11,979,857.70 |
| Offaly | 2,555 | €13,264,226.65 |
| Roscommon | 5,158 | €18,859,914.65 |
| Sligo | 3,545 | €12,841,770.92 |
| Tipperary | 5,980 | €36,102,791.75 |
| Waterford | 1,997 | €13,485,399.67 |
| Westmeath | 2,680 | €13,343,481.17 |
| Wexford | 3,376 | €19,944,141.26 |
| Wicklow | 1,848 | €11,264,891.61 |
| Total | 110,499 | €510,988,244.34 |
Announcing the payments earlier today, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said: "These payments are a critical element of family farm income and also make a significant contribution to the wider rural economy.
"Given the importance of scheme payments to farmers, I want to ensure that these payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible so that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner," the minister added.
BISS payments welcomed
The announcement of payments under BISS and CRISS has been welcomed by a TD who said the monies will "circulate directly through local communities".
Fianna Fáil TD for Galway East Albert Dolan said that the €40 million to be allocated to his county will be a "significant boost" for Co. Galway's farm families and the wider rural economy.
"Farmers across the county have faced a challenging year and these payments are a vital support to maintain cashflow, sustain local businesses, and underpin family farm income. It's money that will circulate directly through local communities," Dolan said.
"Schemes like BISS and CRISS are essential in providing fairness and stability across the sector, ensuring that small and medium-sized farms in counties like Galway continue to thrive.
"I welcome the department's strong performance in delivering over 93% of payments already, with further cases to be processed in the coming days," Dolan added.
He urged farmers who have been asked for outstanding documentation by the department to return it as soon as possible so their payments can issue.
