“I am delighted to confirm that advance payments under the BISS & CRISS Schemes, worth over €506 million to 110,186 farmers, have commenced today,” Cork North-West Fine Gael General Election Candidate Cllr. John Paul O’Shea has said.
This comes after the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D., today announced the commencement of advance payments under the 2024 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS).
Cllr. O’Shea said: “These payments are critical to family farm income and a vital support for farmers as well as the rural economy. It means that 6,000 more farmers have been paid and €54m more in payments has gone out this year compared to the commencement of payments in 2023.
“Given the importance of scheme payments to farmers, these payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible to ensure that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner. Payment dates for 2024 have reverted to the payment schedule in place in previous years as committed to. Today 93% 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 commencing today 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”, Cllr. O’Shea concluded.
Payments under the 2024 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC), which commenced last month, are also continuing as more cases are cleared for payment and 2024 payments under the Eco-Scheme will commence from next week.
To facilitate farmers wishing to contact the department regarding their BISS or ANC payments, extended hours are in place for the Direct Payments Helpdesk. From Monday 14 October to Friday 18 October, the Helpdesk will be available up to 8.30pm. Farmers can ring the Helpdesk at 057-8674422. Farmers can also submit any queries they may have online via www.agfood.ie.
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