Rural Development Council Report February 2026

ACRES

• ACRES advance payments for 2025 began issuing in early November, with approximately €222.5 million paid to date and 96% of participants now fully up to date with their 2025 payments. 
• Almost €250 million has issued in respect of the 2023 scheme year, with over 99% of participants paid, while a total of €268.8 million has issued for the 2024 scheme year, with almost 99% of participants having received payment. 
• These payments bring the total amount paid under ACRES since its commencement in 2023 to just over €742 million. 
• Participants are reminded that the final deadline for the submission of ACRES soil sample results, or soil sample exemption forms, is 28 February 2026, and it is essential that all outstanding documentation is uploaded by this date. Any ACRES contracts, where soil sample results or exemption forms remain outstanding after this deadline, will be terminated and all monies paid under the scheme to date will be recouped. 
• Balancing payments for the 2025 scheme year are due to commence in late May 2026.

TAMS

Ranking & Selection Applied T9
Solar	25%
LESS; DES	50%
AWNSS; Organics; PPIS; TCIS; WF-CIS; YF-CIS	80%
Farm Safety	100%

• Since its launch, TAMS 3 has experienced strong demand, with application levels significantly above those seen under TAMS 2.
• To date, over 51,000 applications have been submitted across the scheme, with in excess of 40,000 approvals issued to farmers.
• All eligible applications in T1-8 were approved in full, allowing farmers proceed with a wide range of on-farm investment projects.

Tranche	Closing Date
Tranche 11	6th March
Tranche 12	5th June
Tranche 13	4th September
Tranche 14	4th December

• Payments of more than €121 million have issued in respect of approved investments. Issues re slowed payments in recent weeks have been raised with DAFM.
• Due to the high volume of applications and limited available funding, ranking and selection has been introduced from Tranche 9 onwards. Under the ranking and selection process, priority is being given to key investment areas, including farm safety with varying selection rates applied across other sub-schemes.
• More than 40% of the TAMS budget has been spent across the Solar Capital Investment Scheme and the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme (LESS).
• Tranche 9 alone received 6,122 applications with T10 receiving in excess of 7,000 applications. 
• T11 is now open for applications, which now includes support for replacement roofs. 

Direct Payment updates 

• A total of €243.9 million has been paid to 97,041 farmers under the ANC to date, comprising both advance and balancing payments.
• Payments totalling €834.5 million have issued to 118,011 farmers in respect of BISS and CRISS, with payments continuing as remaining cases are cleared.
• To date, €298.2 million has been paid to 115,954 farmers under the Eco-Scheme, reflecting both advance and balancing payments made.
• Applications for BISS and other area related payments for 2026 will open in the coming weeks. 

Forgotten Farmer Scheme

The 2025 Forgotten Farmer Scheme (Long Established Young Farmers Scheme) issued payments of €5,000 to 445 successful applicants in early December 2025. Of the 1,254 applicants, 809 were deemed ineligible. 

Activity since last National Council

• Meeting of Rural Development Committee in the Irish Farm Centre.
• Issued letter to LEADER requesting increased farmer representation on LAGs.
• Attended a Farmers Charter of Rights Monitoring Committee meeting in Portlaoise.
• Meeting with DAFM to discuss TAMS. 
• Attended meeting of MyAgFood Working Group.
• Attended CSP Monitoring Committee.
• Made a Submission to ‘Our Rural Future’ Public Consultation. 
• Attended CAP post 2027 Consultative Committee.
• Completed survey re Interim evaluation of the Common Agricultural Policy’s (CAP) delivery on its objectives (2023–2027).
• Submission to Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture re CAP Post 2027. 
• Represented Committee at COPA COGECA Protest in Brussels.
• Assisted members with scheme Queries/payments and appeals. 

Any EU/COPA developments

• IFA participates on a number of COPA groups, relating to CAP, Direct Payments, and Rural Development matters. Following the publication of CAP 2028-2032 proposals by the EU Commission on 16th July, IFA has continued to engage with the COPA Working Party on numerous occasions, providing feedback and observations on the proposals. IFA also participated on a recent Civil Dialogue Group (CDG) on CAP Strategic Plans. 

5. Upcoming Issues

• Meeting of CAP Post 2027 Consultative Committee.
• Meeting with EESC on Interim Review of Common Agricultural Policy. 
• IFA Rural Development Committee will travel to Brussels in April.