The first payments of the 2025 scheme year will commence on 17 September 2025 with the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) the first payment made and just shy of 100,000 farmers typically in receipt of support under the scheme.
There have been queries from farmers at recent mart events and farm walks as to the payments timeline for this year.
The ANC payment is listed in the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) terms and conditions, as are the BISS and Eco Scheme. The Farmers’ Charter of Rights agreed between the Department of Agriculture and farm organisations/industry stakeholders includes timelines or approximate dates for payments across the main schemes.
An approximate timeline of such payments, along with some additions based on payment dates over the last year, is listed as follows;
Areas of Natural Constraint: Payments commence on 17 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 start in November and balancing payments in May of following year.
ACRES Core payments: Payments to commence by end-November to 100% of cleared cases. Balancing payments before end of May in the following year.
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.
SCEP: 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 2025 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.
2024 Multi-Species and Red Clover Silage Sward measures: Payments to commence in mid-to-late-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
CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme: Payments will be made in March 2026 for the 2025 scheme year.
31 August: Latest date to cut meadows in Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme low-input grassland/peat grassland actions to qualify for the late meadow bonus payment of €50/ha.
31 August: Final date to submit scorecards to Department for lands scored under in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme.
1 September: Hedgecutting season opens.
5 September: Closing date for tranche 8 of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme.
14 September: From this date soil samples must state the corresponding georeference or land parcel identification system (LPIS) parcel number(s) or they will be defaulted to phosphorus (P) index 4.
14 September: Final date unprotected urea can be used with the exception of liquid fertiliser.
15 September: Prohibited period commences for application of chemical fertiliser.
15 September: Cultivation does not have to be carried out in fields harvested after 15 September.
Fields destined for winter crops, planned to be planted by 31 October, do not need to be cultivated.
15 September: Catch crops for ACRES must be planted by this date. Catch crops planted under equivalence for Crop Diversification requirements should also be planted.
15 September: All soil samples must be taken between 16 September 2024 and 15 September 2025 for farmers participating in Agricultural Practice 6 – Soil Sampling and Appropriate Liming in the Eco Scheme.
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