Thousands of applicants who have applied to the Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS), Complementary Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) and Eco-scheme since 2022 are still waiting for payment.

The information was revealed after Aontú TD Paul Lawless asked Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon for details on payments for the schemes.

Deputy Lawless queried “the number of applicants under BISS, CRISS and Eco-Scheme who had not received their full scheme payment within four, eight, 12 and 24 weeks of the commencement of payments in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026".

He also requested details on "the value of payments outstanding at those dates”.

Minister Heydon said his department cannot pay applicants who have eligibility queries outstanding and therefore “there will always be some small proportion of applicants who do not become eligible for payment on the first day payments commence”.

He also added that historical figures for the number of applications who are not yet eligible at four, eight, 12 and 24 weeks are not available.

“My department provides direct phone and in-person supports to farmers and their advisers in such cases to clear payments as quickly as possible," the minister said.

Figures

The minister provided the following tables showing the number of applications for BISS, CRISS and Eco-Scheme (Basic Payment Scheme, BPS, in the case of 2022) in the years and the number unpaid as of September 2026. 

The tables also show the number of eligible BISS applications in those years and the numbers paid for the four scheme years.

2026 scheme year payments will commence on October 16, 2026, according to the minister. 

Minister Heydon added: “Scheme payment dates and percentages paid have met or in many cases exceeded the targets set down in the Charter of Rights for Farmers agreed between my department and the farming organisations."