Clendennen confirms over €14.5m in support payments to Offaly farmers

Fine Gael TD for Offaly, John Clendennen, has welcomed confirmation from Minister Martin Heydon that over €14.5 million in advance payments under the 2026 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) schemes will issue to 2,581 farmers across Offaly in the coming days.

The payments form part of a national allocation of over €551 million to more than 110,000 farmers, announced today by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD.

Deputy Clendennen said the commencement of payments would be welcomed by farm families throughout Offaly, particularly following the recent delay arising from public sector industrial action.

“These payments represent a significant injection of over €14.5m directly into the Offaly farming community and will provide important financial support to over 2,580 farmers across the county.

“Farmers continue to face considerable pressures on their incomes, with rising input costs and uncertainty across the agricultural sector. The delivery of these payments is extremely important, not only for individual farm businesses but also for the wider rural economy," Deputy Clendennen said.

Deputy Clendennen said the announcement was particularly timely, having met with Offaly IFA Chairperson Joe Daly yesterday (Wednesday) to discuss the priorities and concerns of farmers across the county, including the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) beyond 2027.

“Yesterday’s meeting provided a valuable opportunity to discuss the issues facing Offaly farmers and the priorities of the Irish Farming Association (IFA).

“Direct income supports such as BISS and CRISS are fundamental to the viability of family farms, and it is essential that the importance of these payments is recognised as Ireland prepares for the next CAP," Deputy Clendennen added.

Deputy Clendennen noted that the BISS and CRISS advance payments are being issued at an increased rate of 75% for 2026, with payments expected to appear in farmers’ bank accounts over the coming days.

“I would encourage any Offaly farmers with outstanding documentation requests from the Department to respond as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary delays in receiving their payments,” he concluded.