Minister Heydon confirms amendments facility for 2026 yearly reference number under the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme is open
- Published on: 22 January 2026
- Last updated on: 22 January 2026
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has today announced that participants in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) now have access to amend their 2026 yearly reference number, should they wish to do so.
SCEP provides support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. Participants in SCEP set their programme reference number at application stage in the period March – June 2023 and this remains in place for the duration of the programme. However, as allowed for in the CAP Strategic Plan, participants can amend their yearly reference number each year of the programme during the amendment window.
Minister Heydon commented:
“I am pleased to advise that the facility is now open for SCEP participants to amend their 2026 yearly reference number on their Agfood account. This flexibility supports famers who wish to alter their commitments under the programme requirements to meet their individual needs or changing circumstances.”
Participants can reduce their 2026 yearly reference number by up to 20% of their 2025 yearly reference number. Alternatively, participants can increase their 2026 yearly reference number by any number back up to their programme reference number set at application stage, where the farmer or their FAS Advisor had amended their yearly reference number in 2023, 2024 or 2025.
Any changes made to the 2026 yearly reference number (either increases or decreases) will have an associated impact on the requirements/actions to be carried out by the participant and on the maximum payment that the participant will be eligible to draw down later in 2026. Once an application to amend the 2026 yearly reference number is submitted online, no amendments can be made.
If you suspect or know now that not enough of your cows are going to calve by 30 June 2026 to meet the minimum 50% calving down requirement of your 2025 yearly reference number, you should reduce your 2026 yearly reference number to allow for that. Failure to do so could result in your removal from SCEP and clawback of any monies already received under the programme.
To avail of the maximum payment in 2026, participants must have at least enough determined eligible forage hectares under their 2026 BISS application to match their 2026 maximum payable area (MPA) and ensure that they are fully compliant with all the eligibility requirements and actions under the programme.
Where a participant does not wish to amend their 2026 yearly reference number from their 2025 yearly reference number, then no action is required. Their 2025 yearly reference number will automatically roll over to 2026, if no amendment is submitted.
The window to amend 2026 yearly reference numbers is open from today 22 January until 23.59hrs on 12 February 2026.
Terms and conditions are available to download at gov.ie - Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) (www.gov.ie).
Notes to editor
Programme reference number means the reference number chosen by the applicant to be their reference number for the duration of the programme.
Yearly reference number means the reference number declared by the applicant for each scheme year. This number cannot exceed their programme reference number and cannot be less than 80% of the declared yearly reference number from the previous year.