Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, today announced the commencement of advance payments under the 2026 Eco-Scheme. In Meath compliant applicants will see 2,905 farmers receive €6,743,566 in advance payments while Louth 1,197 farmers will see payments of 2,518,880.
The Minister said: “I can confirm that advance payments under the Eco-Scheme, worth €203 million to 106,913 farmers, have commenced. The aim of Ireland’s Eco-Scheme is to reward farmers for undertaking actions beneficial to the climate, environment, water quality and biodiversity. Eco-Scheme payments are a vital support for farmers, and I have maintained the payment rate in 2026 at €66 per eligible hectare, same as it was in 2025.”
The Minister continued: “Notwithstanding the change in the BISS and CRISS advance payment date, due to industrial action, from today Friday 16 October to Tuesday 27 October 2026, my Department remains committed to ensuring that all scheme payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible to ensure that these vital supports are delivered to farmers in a timely manner. Today almost 92% of all 2026 Eco-Scheme eligible applicants have received an advance 2026 Eco-Scheme payment.”
Concluding, Minister Heydon said: “The Eco-Scheme advance payments are commencing today at a rate of 75% which is 5% higher than it was paid in recent years. Payments will be visible in farmers’ bank accounts in the coming days and the Department will continue to process, all remaining cases for payment as they meet scheme criteria. I would however urge any farmers with outstanding requests for documentation or evidence from my Department to return them, as well as any farmers who applied for Agricultural Practice 3 and/or Agricultural Practice 5 to put up their closing stocks on the National Fertiliser Database to allow payments to issue as soon as possible.”
Farmers wishing to contact the Department regarding their Eco-Scheme payments can phone the Direct Payments Helpdesk at 057 8674422. Farmers can also submit any queries they may have online via www.MyAgfood.ie.
