Billions for farming, but fewer farmersHow €2.1bn in payments is reshaping rural Ireland and why it isn’t fixing the succession crisisMembers of the Independent Farmers of Ireland block traffic on Dublin's St Stephen's Green in protest at beef prices in 2019. Photo: PACiaran Moran Today at 06:30Irish farmers received more than €2.1bn in Department of Agriculture payments in 2025, a record level of support that underlines just how central public money has become to the rural economy.

Source: Irish Independent January 13, 2026 07:02 UTC