Minister McConalogue confirms 124,274 BISS and other area-based schemes applications submitted by deadline

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D., has confirmed that 124,274 farmers applied online for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based schemes before the 15 May deadline.

The Minister commented:

"This application is the cornerstone of all the area-based schemes run by my department. Knowing how important these schemes are to farm families, I am pleased to see so many farmers successfully complete their BISS and other area-based schemes applications."

The area-based application includes a range of schemes including the Eco scheme, Complementary Redistribution Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS), Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CIS-YF), Protein Aid, Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC), Multi Species Sward Measure (MSSM) and Red Clover Silage Measure (RCSM)and the annual claims for Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).

Separately there were 13,155 applications submitted for the CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme before the 15 May deadline.

Commenting on this scheme, the Minister said:

"The new CSP Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme is an important support to ensure the production of better-quality beef animals from the dairy herd. This scheme is one of the measures in the ten-point action plan on supporting dairy calf to beef systems in Ireland."

The Minister added:

"It is really positive that so many farmers have applied before the deadline. This figure reflects the massive effort made by farmers, FAS Advisors and by my department in assisting farmers with these schemes and their various requirements. I want to particularly acknowledge the advisory services who have worked extremely hard with their client farmers to meet a range of application deadlines in recent months."

The Minister concluded:

"To support farmers, my department held 17 one-to-one clinics around the country. Almost 1,400 farmers were assisted at these events with a further 365 receiving direct help at the public office in Portlaoise. The Direct Payments Helpdesk of my department made and received over 10,000 calls to farmers since 2 April to help them with their applications and queries. I want every eligible farmer to maximise their payments because I and everyone in my department knows how crucial they are to farm families."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Late applications

Applications will be accepted after the 15 May closing date. However, there will be a 1% per day penalty, as per the Terms and Conditions.

BISS and other area based Schemes Amendments

Where farmers have made their BISS and other area based schemes application, but now wish to make an amendment, they may make such changes online at www.agfood.ie until midnight on Friday 31 May, without any penalty.

Transfer of Entitlements

There were 33,342 applications received to transfer payment entitlements.

As per the Terms and Conditions, the closing date for the receipt of Transfer of Entitlements applications was 15 May 2024. However, if a change made to a BISS online application leads to a farmer having insufficient land to use all of their entitlements, they will have the opportunity to submit a Transfer of Entitlements application up until midnight on 31 May 2024. This is only available to farmers who can show that they have made a change to their BISS application by 31 May 2024 and that change has directly led to the need to transfer entitlements.

Scheme breakdown

• Note figures in table includes 2,437 Temporary Reference Number applications, applications where no BISS entitlements are held (if applicable), and applications without any claimed area. These applications will be subject to administrative checks to determine eligibility.

**Note these figures are subject to change as processing of entitlement trades are completed in the coming months