Multi-million-euro direct payments to farmers will return to the traditional dates in September and October this year under commitments made by the Department of Agriculture in the updated Charter of Farmers Rights.Last year advance payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme and Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme were delayed by two to three weeks prompting a furious reaction from the farm organisations.
Multi-million-euro direct payments to farmers will return to the traditional dates in September and October this year under commitments made by the Department of Agriculture in the updated Charter of Farmers Rights.
Last year advance payments under the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme and Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme were delayed by two to three weeks prompting a furious reaction from the farm organisations.
However, in a draft of the new charter seen by the Irish Farmers Journal, the payment dates for the ANC and BISS have returned to the third week of September for the ANC for the first 90% advance, and to 16 October for the BISS.
Balancing payments
Balancing payments for both schemes will be delivered by the first week of December.
In terms of ACRES payments, the charter sets out that what it describes as core payments are to commence by end of November to “100% of cleared cases”. Balancing payments are to “commence to 100% of cleared cases before the end of May the following year”.
In terms of payments for non-productive investments (NPIs) associated with ACRES, the charter states that payment will issue within three weeks of approval for payment “when it has been determined that the work has been completed in accordance with the terms and conditions of the scheme”.
Among the other commitments are:
An independently chaired committee to be established to monitor the implementation of the charter.The Department will fully consult with the farming organisations on all scheme details in a timely manner. Inspections, for the most part, will be announced in advance.Inspectors must provide a preliminary report before leaving the farm. 
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