Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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This radically changed the assessment process, overnight, for forestry licensing and meant that a very significant increase in human resources was required to be able to consider a licence. It led to the development of a very significant backlog, which took until the last year for us to be able to rectify. Unfortunately, ACRES has proven to be much more complex than many of the other schemes. It required a new IT system to be built and there were all of the complexities that go with that. I am certainly no expert on the ins and outs behind the screen in terms of all of the networks and technology involved. The ACRES speaks to many different parts of other activities that farmers carry out. For example, BISS payments are interrelated as well. Any change to a parcel can have an impact in respect of ACRES and there is also the scoring system. From an administrative point of view, it was very challenging and has continued to be such into this year. Thankfully, I think we are getting to a situation whereby it can operate as we would expect going into next year.