Payments to farmers worth nearly half a billion euro under Ireland's CAP programme have commenced.

More than 104,000 farmers are entitled to payments of €452 million under the BISS and CRISS schemes, and payments are expected to be visible in farmers' bank accounts in the coming days.

According to the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, the payments are vital for farmers.

"I know just how crucial these payments are for family farm income, but I also recognise how important they are to businesses across the country, bringing a welcome boost in cashflow to the rural economy," he said.

"I am committed to ensuring that these scheme payments continue to issue in the most efficient way possible."

However, some farmers who have not returned all requested documentation to the Department of Agriculture will have their payment delayed, and they are being urged to take immediate action to allow payments to be made.

The news of the latest payment round comes after the Department announced €179m in payments to 85,000 farmers last week under the separate ANC farm scheme.

All the payments were delayed by between a week and a month this year, as it was the first year of the new Common Agriculture Policy and because some of the terms of the scheme changed.

The delays were sharply criticised by farmer representatives.

The Minister has undertaken to revert to the payment schedule in place in previous years from 2024.