A RESTORATION of ANC payments to their pre-Celtic Tiger rates, was called for this week by Galway IFA Chairman, Stephen Canavan, when he led a delegation meeting with Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon.

The meeting took place in the Abbeyknockmoy Community Centre – coinciding with the opening of Deputy Pete Roche’s constituency office by Minister Heydon – and was also attended by Galway IFA Commodity Reps.

Stephen Canavan told the Farming Tribune it was hard to credit – that 17-years on from the financial crash of 2008 – that the ANC payment rates had not been restored to their 2007 levels.

“The ANC [Areas of Natural Constraint] payments are absolutely critical for farmers who are trying to survive on the smaller and more disadvantaged holdings and yet here we are in 2025, with the payments still €50 million lower than they were in 2007.

“We’ve had various promises and commitments to correct this situation but yet this financial gap hasn’t been closed. We made it very clear to Minister Heydon on Monday in Abbeyknockmoy that we want this corrected,” said Stephen Canavan.

The meeting which lasted for about half an hour also dealt with EU Commission proposals on the new CAP [Common Agricultural Policy], the Nitrates Derogation, the Nature Restoration Law, the growing TB problem, and the ongoing delays with ACRES payments.

“The very least we should be entitled to expect is that payments such as in ACRES are made on time. The delays in ACRES payments since the start of the scheme have been shocking, with bureaucracy and red-tape the main problems,” said Stephen Canavan.

Galway and Mayo farmers top the ‘inter-county league’ for ANC payments with approximately 11,000 farmers from each county sharing an annual pot of over €55 million, averaging out at €2,500 per farm.

BISS [Basic Income Support for Sustainability] amounted to just over €51 million for Galway farmers in 2024 – up by €1 million on the 2023 figure but down by €7 million as compared to the 2022 figure.

Pictured: An IFA delegation led by County Chairman, Stephen Canavan, who met with Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, on Monday last in Abbeyknockmoy Community Centre at the opening of Deputy Pete Roche’s new constituency office.