Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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57. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the new acres agri-environmental scheme will be announced; the special conditions that will apply on designated land in terms of co-operation between farmers; if this scheme will apply to commonage land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38515/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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A new agri-environmental scheme, to be known as the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (‘ACRES’), is currently with the EU Commission for approval as part of Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan. €1.5 billion in funding has also been committed to the scheme over the lifetime of the next CAP. Details of the draft scheme were announced on 21st June 2022 to facilitate preparatory work by advisors.

As announced, there will be two entry approaches in the proposed new scheme namely:

- An ACRES General approach, available nationally (outside of the high priority geographical area as defined for the ACRES Co-operation approach), which offers a range of measures (both targeted and general); and

- An ACRES Co-operation approach, available to farmers in defined high priority geographical areas. Eight areas in the country have been defined by a cross departmental working group as having particular environmental characteristics and farmers in those areas may engage in the new ACRES through cooperation project teams, which have appointed.

The Terms and Conditions for ACRES are currently being finalised and will cover both ACRES General and ACRES Co-Operation. A draft version of these Terms and Conditions will be available to farmers and advisers before they log on to draft a Farm Sustainability Plan, which forms part of the application.

ACRES will be open to all eligible farmers within the State for land they hold, including commonage. While most of the commonage land is within the ACRES Co-Operation approach, some will be in the ACRES General area.

Likewise, while much of the designated land in the State is in the Co-Operation zones, some areas of designated land are in the ACRES General area.

The new Co-Operation Project teams are currently engaging with local stakeholders in developing their Local Action Plans. The Co-Operation Project teams are also considering what Non-Productive Investments and Landscape/Co-Operation actions would be most appropriate to address the challenges in their zone – while no final Landscape/Co-operation action has yet been developed, some of them may involve co-operation between farmers.

It should be noted that approval for Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan is awaited from the EU Commission, so all of the proposals may be subject to change.

I am excited to see ACRES come to fruition as it will be a farmer-friendly scheme that will deliver for the environment and it will be an important income support for farm families.