Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. When the question was tabled, the matter to which it relates was topical for all farmers. Thankfully, we have had good progress since then, allowing me to give the Deputy a positive response.

The agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, is the central agri-environment climate measure in Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023-2027. It is a flagship agri-environmental scheme that will pay farmers €1.5 billion over its lifetime. ACRES will play a significant role in driving environmental improvements while also providing a crucial income support to farm families. It accounts for the largest sum ever committed to an agri-environment scheme.

As the Deputy may be aware, some 46,200 farmers applied for entry into the first tranche of ACRES. We were pleased last week to announce the acceptance of all valid applications received for the first tranche of the scheme. The formal approval letters are being posted out to successful applicants this week. An approval summary, which will show where actions have been mapped on participants' farms, will be posted to ACRES participants by the end of March with a copy of the farmland plant identification guide. This guide is a booklet developed by the Department to help farmers identify the indicator species on their land to be used in the scoring process.

Because it was initially intended 30,000 applications would be accepted for the first tranche of the scheme, the acceptance of all valid applications submitted under that tranche will present challenges, given both approaches within the scheme require the scoring of lands for results-based actions within a set period and the submission of the scores by a deadline to enable the making of advance payments in the fourth quarter of this year.

Given the significant level of interest among applicants in participating in the scheme at the earliest opportunity, I look forward to the focused efforts and co-operation from all involved to enable its smooth running. Subject to ACRES participants undertaking the actions in accordance with their ACRES contract and the scheme specifications, and submitting their claim for payment as part of their application for the basic income support for sustainability scheme, BISS, advance payments in respect of ACRES contracts are scheduled to issue in the fourth quarter of this year.

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