The first substantial payment of the 2026 scheme year will commence from Wednesday, 16 September 2026 with the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC). The level of payment is 85% of the total sum due to applicants and has been in excess of €180m paid to over 85,000 farmers in recent years. A similar level of payment is anticipated in 2026.

The ANC payment will be followed by the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) from 16 October 2026. As recently announced by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon the advance payment will increase from 70% to 75% in 2026.

Payment dates for other schemes based on agreements between the Department of Agriculture and farm organisations/industry stakeholders and going from payment timelines in 2025 are outlined:

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  • Areas of Natural Constraint: Payments commence on 16 September and regular pay runs will continue until mid-November before balancing payments commence in early December.
  • BISS and CRISS: Payments commence on 16 October and weekly pay runs will continue until mid-November before balancing payments commence in early December.
  • Eco Scheme: Payments commence to eligible applications on 23 October and regular pay runs will continue until mid-November before balancing payments begin in early December.
  • Sheep Improvement Scheme: Advance Payments to commence in November and balancing payments in May of following year.
  • Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) Core payments: Payments to commence by end-November to 100% of cleared cases. Balancing payments before end of May in the following year.
  • Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Young Farmers (CIS-YF) and National reserve: 100% of cleared cases to be paid as a complete payment in early December.
  • Protein Aid Scheme: Eligible applicants to be paid as a complete payment in mid-December.
  • Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme: Payments to commence to eligible applicants in mid-December.
  • National Beef Welfare Scheme: Payments to commence in mid-December.
  • National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme: Payments to commence in early December.
  • National Sheep Welfare Scheme: Payments to commence in mid-December to cleared applications. Later payment date of possibly early 2026 for farmers opting to delay completion of certain actions.
  • Organic Farming Scheme: Advance payments will commence to eligible applicants in early December. Balancing payments when all inspections are completed.
  • Straw Incorporation Measure: Payment to issue to cleared cases in mid-December.
  • Forestry grant schemes: 100% payment to cleared cases within six weeks for non-inspection cases or 12 weeks where inspection is required in the case of valid/complete applications.
  • Forestry Premium Scheme: Annual bulk payment in January but payments continue throughout the year
  • Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) National Eradication Programme Tissue Tag Subsidy: Animal Health Ireland reports that a payment of €3.50 per calf, up to 25 calves per herd will be paid automatically based on the number of birth registrations in a herd. This was paid in September 2025 but no date has been announced for 2026.
  • CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme: Payments will be made in March 2027 for the 2026 scheme year.