Measures
Over 40 to choose from
It is a European Innovation Partnership run by the Local Authority Waters Programme with Teagasc and the farming industry. You join through your ASSAP advisor, not by filling in a form on your own.
Quick facts
- Measures
- Over 40 to choose from
- Catch crops
- €229/ha (6A) or €173/ha (6B)
- Catch crop cap
- 40 ha, max €9,160
- Who
- Farms in Priority Areas for Action
- Apply
- Through an ASSAP advisor, free
- Next tranche
- To open in 2027
Who can join
The grant is aimed at specific Priority Areas for Action, where water quality is at risk. Your ASSAP advisor decides which tier your farm is in.
First preference goes to Tier 1 farms, which ASSAP advisors have already assessed. You must actively farm the land for the length of the EIP plan.
What it pays for
There are over 40 measures. They include stream fencing, fenced margins and riparian buffer zones, alternative water supplies, nose pumps and solar pumps, and hedge and tree planting.
Each measure is paid on its own once it is installed and checked. The Department says nutrient storage applications will now be prioritised.
Catch crops
Option 6A, after spring and other crops, pays €229 a hectare a year. Sow by 1 September and leave it in place until 1 January.
Option 6B, for winter cropping systems, pays €173 a hectare a year. Set it by 1 August and leave it until 30 September.
The minimum area is 0.5 hectares and the most paid is 40 hectares, up to €9,160. Ploughing is not allowed when you establish the crop.
How to apply
Talk to your Teagasc ASSAP advisor
The ASSAP advisor works out your farm's tier and sends the application to the Water EIP Project Team.
Sign the form and add bank details
Every application needs a fully completed, signed form and a copy of your bank header details.
Wait for written approval before any work
No work should start until the EIP Project team has given you written approval.
Install the measure and get it validated
Each measure is paid individually once it is installed and validated.
Things to watch
There is no open closing date on the official pages we checked. The Department says Budget 2027 money will go to existing participants and a new tranche will open in 2027.
Do not double up with ACRES. You cannot put Water EIP catch crops on the same land used for ACRES catch crops in the same year.
EIP catch crops do not count towards GAEC 7, the crop diversification rule needed for BISS payments.
Phone, forms and how long it takes
- Signed application form, sent in by your ASSAP advisor
- signed application form
From the official pages (teagasc.ie), re-checked every night. Numbers and times can change, so check the official page before you send anything.
Common questions
Farming for Water EIP: what does it pay for?
Over 40 water quality measures, such as stream fencing, buffer zones, alternative water supplies, hedge and tree planting, and catch crops.
How much do Farming for Water catch crops pay?
€229 a hectare a year for Option 6A and €173 for Option 6B, on up to 40 hectares, with a maximum of €9,160.
What is the Farming for Water EIP closing date?
The Department says a new tranche will open in 2027. Ask your ASSAP advisor when applications open.
Who can apply for Farming for Water?
Farms in the targeted Priority Areas for Action. Applications are free and are sent in by your ASSAP advisor.
- Teagasc: Measures to improve water quality funded through Farming for Water EIP
- www.gov.ie: Ministers mcconalogue hackett and noonan launch 60 million farming for water eip
- www.gov.ie: Minister heydon secures 2344 billion to support and deliver on key priorities for farmers fishermen and women and the rural and coastal communities
- teagasc.ie: Farming for water eip catch crops
- teagasc.ie: Have you declared your farming for water catch crops