Farmers in Cork to Benefit from Advance Payments
Oct 16, 2025
Advance payments for farmers in Cork worth over €70 million, which are a critical element of family farm incomes, are expected to begin from today, Thursday, 16th of October, Fine Gael TD for Cork North West John Paul O’Shea has said.
Deputy O’Shea said “These payments will make a significant contribution to the wider economy of Cork. The money is under the 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS). In Cork the impact of these payments is tangible. They’re not just numbers on a spreadsheet, they equate to bills being paid, machinery getting repaired and families right around Cork supported”.
Deputy O’Shea added “Farmers in Cork benefitting from €70 million shows a vote of confidence in the future of farming. These payments are the backbone of family farm incomes and a vital engine for local economies.”
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD said “I am happy to confirm that advance payments under the BISS and CRISS, worth over €510.9 million to 110,499 farmers, are expected to begin from today. These payments are a critical element of family farm income and, also make a significant contribution to the wider rural economy. Combined with the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme payments that issued in September it means that in excess of €694 million of area-based payments have been paid from my Department in the past month”.
“Given the importance of scheme payments to farmers, I want to ensure that these payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible so that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner. Today 93.87% of applicants have been paid which is in line with our commitment under the Farmers Charter to pay 90% of eligible applications. The BISS & CRISS advance payments are expected to commence at a rate of 70%. Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and the Department will continue to process, as a matter of urgency, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria. I would urge any farmers with outstanding requests for documentation from the Department to return to allow payments to issue” concluded Minister Heydon.
Ends/
Note to Editors:
By close of applications on the 15 May Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine had received 123,705 applications from farmers, at present 117,713 are eligible for payment under BISS and CRISS. There are a number of reasons why an application may be deemed ineligible for payment under the BISS, such as the applicant not holding payment entitlements, a claimed area of zero declared on the application or the applicant does not have eligible land.
The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between society and agriculture that ensures a stable supply of food, safeguards farmers’ income, protects the environment and keeps rural areas vibrant. EU countries implement the CAP at national level with an adopted CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) is designed to provide a direct income support to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability.
The Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) is a new scheme that is designed to redistribute CAP funds from larger farms to medium and smaller sized farms.
The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) and Eco-Scheme are funded by the EU.
