IRISH farmers and fishers have been paid a total of €2.18 billion in support payments during 2025, the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, confirmed this week.

The payments have been under the Common Agricultural Policy [CAP] and the Common Fisheries Policy [CFP].

Minister Heydon said that the payments provided vital supports for rural and coastal communities while at the same time ensuring food security and underpinning the rural and fishing economies.

In terms of farm payments west of the Shannon, Galway ‘topped the league’ with €186.24 million being paid out; followed by Mayo €171.3m; Clare €107.1m; Roscommon €88.9 million; Sligo €60m; and Leitrim €56.6m.

Schemes covered in the payments included forestry, organic, traditional farm buildings, ACRES, BVD tags, succession planning, collaborative farming grant, and bovine TB compensation,

Minister Heydon said that in terms of the payments to farmers, Ireland continued to be one of the earliest countries in the EU to pay out.

“We will continue to work to issue payments as quickly as possible where they are still due, and I would ask farmers who have outstanding queries to respond to these as soon as possible,” said the Minister.

In terms of the payments to the seafood sector, Minister of State, Timmy Dooley, said that through the Seafood Development Programme 2021-2027 delivered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the Department had implemented 11 schemes to support the fisheries, aquaculture and processing sectors in Ireland.

Minister of Jackie Healy-Rae said that an investment of €76 million in the forestry sector was helping many farmers ‘to transition to a more sustainable future’.

West Galway Minister of State, Noel Grealish, said that Ireland’s international reputation for the provision of safe, sustainable quality agri-food and seafood was only possible ‘through the dedication of our primary producers’.

“This support, along with continued investment in Research and Innovation, is  testament to the Government’s commitment to the sector,” said Minister Grealish.

Pictured: Minister Martin Heydon: An almost €2.2 billion payout to Irish farmers in 2025.