Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Senator Pippa Hackett):

I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for this opportunity to discuss the new agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES. ACRES is our new, hugely popular and ambitious agri-environment climate measure under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. The Government has committed €1.5 billion to the scheme over its duration, which is the largest amount ever committed to an agri-environment scheme. The commitment of such a large amount of money highlights the importance of the scheme to the delivery of long-term environmental improvement through the participation by a significant number of farmers on the most appropriate land, with each making a strong improvement on his or her farm. ACRES has truly captured the imagination of farm families across the country with thousands upon thousands of farmers applying to join this exciting scheme. My colleague, the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, has confirmed that 46,000 farmers who applied for ACRES are being accepted into the scheme.

There are two approaches with ACRES. ACRES co-operation project, CP, applies in eight mapped zones that are areas of high nature value, hold significant carbon stores and are home to some of the most pristine waters in the country. In these CP areas, farmers work collectively and collaboratively to make major climate and biodiversity improvements. ACRES general is for all other farmers not falling within CP zones. Participants in ACRES commit under their ACRES contract to undertake certain actions for a period of five years. There are attractive rates of payment available under both approaches.

We are hugely supportive of farmers in the commonage areas. Commonage falls within both approaches and is a mandatory action for all ACRES participants with commonage land. Applicants with commonage received priority entry into ACRES general under tier 1 to incentivise farmers to help ensure habitats on such lands are maintained or restored to good condition through appropriate management practices. There is a set payment per hectare for commonages of 10 ha or less, with a requirement for the submission for a commonage farm plan prepared by certain advisers. As there is a results-based payment associated with commonages of greater than 10 ha, the application includes a commitment to have the commonage scored by an approved commonage assessor by a certain deadline. A payment will then be paid to that shareholder based on the score awarded. This assessment can be carried out without the consent or agreement of all shareholders where at least one shareholder is an ACRES participant.

Let me say clearly and for the absolute avoidance of any doubt that ACRES does not prohibit any activity on commonages. The approach in ACRES for commonage is for results-based payments so the payment rate relates to the quality of habitat using a range of criteria assessing the ecological and hydrological integrity of the commonage and various damaging activities. This scoring work on commonages will be undertaken at no cost to the farmer. Once completed, this work will also be a useful management tool to assist farmers to improve the management of commonages by helping to identify potential foraging capacity and appropriate stocking levels which optimise the achievement of a range of environmental services in parallel with agricultural activity. Additionally, the scoring will provide a benchmark by which farmers, with the support of their advisers and ACRES co-operation teams, can monitor progress and target specific areas for action to improve scoring and associated payment. This, ultimately, will be the way in which commonage farmers can enhance their contribution to national environmental outcomes.

While fully appreciating the rights of farmers to cut turf, the Department and co-operation teams are conscious that active turf-cutting could have a disproportionate impact on scores on commonage, and to ensure ACRES participants on commonage lands are rewarded for their environmental ambition, we are now proposing that non-turbary and turbary areas are scored independently of each other.

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