Payments have issued to successful applicants under the Scheme to Support Long Established Young Farmers, the group commonly referred to has 'Forgotten Farmers'.

The long established young farmers are a group defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015; had commenced in agriculture prior to 2008; did not receive young farmer Installation Aid; and were not eligible for young farmer supports under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2015 due to the date they had first set up in agriculture.

The Programme for Government 2025 contained a commitment to deliver a scheme that recognises the category of farmers known as the Forgotten Farmers.

A payment of the maximum amount of €5,000 per successful applicant, as provided for in the scheme terms and conditions, has issued to 445 successful applicants to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said.

The scheme opened for applications on July 22.

The department was allocated €5 million in Budget 2025 to provide support to this group.

The scheme closed for applications on August 13.

In order to be eligible for the scheme, applicants must have:

Submitted a Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application under a herd number;
Submitted an application under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2015 under a herd number;
Be aged no more than 40 in 2015 (born on or after January 1, 1975);
Set up as the head of an agricultural holding for the first time on or before December 31, 2007;
Successfully completed a recognised agricultural education course at FETAC Level 6 or equivalent by May 29, 2015;
Not previously benefited under the Young Farmer Installation Aid Scheme (Installation Aid);
Not benefited under the Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve, including allocations under the so-called 'Scottish Derogation' (which was for persons who never held entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme but who actively farmed in 2013).

The scheme was subject to EU rules on state aid.

This means that crosschecks were made by the department to ensure that cumulative state aid payments, across various state aid measures, made to individual participants in the respect of the previous three fiscal years will not exceed the €50,000 state aid limit under EU rules.