Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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872. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51560/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the agri-environment climate measure which forms part of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027 and is the successor to the Green Low Carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS) which was available under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.  I was pleased, given the delay in negotiating and finalising the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and associated regulations for the next CAP period, to have been able to offer GLAS participants an extension of their contracts to end 2022.

The Government has committed €1.5 billion to ACRES over its duration, which is the largest amount ever committed to an agri-environment scheme. The budget allocation will facilitate the participation of 50,000 participants in ACRES overall. Farmers may apply for one of the approaches available under ACRES, namely the ACRES General approach or the ACRES Co-operation approach depending on the location of their holding.  It is currently envisaged that the split will be 30,000 participants in ACRES General and 20,000 participants in ACRES Co-operation – this will, however, be ultimately subject to the level of interest in each approach. The intake into the scheme will be phased, with at least two tranches, to spread the workload on advisors and enable them to allocate sufficient time for the preparation of applications, and the completion of the Farm Sustainability Plan (FSP) and selection of appropriate actions.

The contracts of those applicants who are approved into the Scheme in Tranche 1 will commence from 1 January 2023 with advance payments scheduled for Quarter 4 of 2023.  The current focus has been on opening the Scheme for applications.

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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873. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his rationale for requiring farmers applying for the new beef suckler scheme 2023 to be Bord Bia quality-assured given that the Bord Bia audit is another cross-compliance check for farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51565/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, supporting our suckler and beef farmers is a key priority of mine as Minister.

The carbon footprint measurement is both an eligibility requirement and an integral element of the proposed Suckler Carbon Efficiency Scheme under the new CAP.

In designing the scheme, in consultation with farming stakeholders, the Department gave detailed consideration to all aspects of the scheme design including potential mechanisms for delivery of the carbon foot-printing requirement. I am satisfied that the chosen scheme design is the most appropriate.

A core element of the SBLAS is a sustainability audit which features a carbon footprint measurement. The primary objective of the carbon footprint measurement is to enable the quantification of all of the environmentally sustainable activity carried out by Irish farmers.

The SBLAS sustainability audit, including the Carbon Footprint measurement, is developed on an internationally verified quality assurance model. There is no direct cost to the farmer for participation in the SBLAS, as the costs of the audits are funded by the Department.