John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his continuing engagement on this matter. As he knows, a lot of farmers in Cork North-West are involved in ACRES. I know the Minister inherited a lot these issues when he moved into his new role but he has made great strides to ensure that we are now up at over 90% in terms of payments for many of the schemes from 2023 and 2024.

ACRES is not just a scheme but a partnership between farmers and the State to protect our environment, enhance biodiversity, improve water quality and ensure that sustainable farming remains at the heart of rural Ireland. Across the country, farmers are delivering real, measurable benefits, planting hedgerows, restoring habitats, managing grasslands, reducing emissions and protecting our natural heritage for future generations but for farmers to continue this essential work, the Government must ensure that ACRES payments are made fully and on time each year. Farmers plan their finances around these payments. They rely on them to meet costs, invest in their holdings and deliver the environmental measures expected under the scheme. Delayed payments can create uncertainty, cause cash flow pressures and undermine confidence at a time when farmers are already facing rising input costs and increased regulatory demands.

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