Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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1768. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that the areas of the Ballyboy, Cregaclare Turlough, Ballyboy, Ardrahan, County Galway, are excluded from the ACRES scheme given that they are areas of important ecological value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63472/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The map of the eight Co-operation Project (CP) zones was developed to facilitate the implementation of locally targeted and adapted agri-environment measures under the Co-Operation stream of the Agri-climate, Rural, Environment Scheme (ACRES). 

An interdepartmental working group with representatives from my Department, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, EPA and LAWPRO, was established to identify the relevant areas for the zones.

Development of the map and selection of the areas for the Co-operation stream involved identifying lands throughout the country based on the criteria set out below.

- SACs

- SPAs

- NHAs

- All offshore islands

- Burren region (RDP map)

- Corncrake LIFE areas

- Breeding Hen Harrier Regions

- Curlew breeding areas

- Wild Atlantic Nature areas

- River sub-basins known to have large areas of Annex I grasslands

- Blue Dot Catchments

From lands that met the criteria above, the interdepartmental group selected the eight co-operation zones based on maximum environmental priority.

However, it is important to note that farmers with lands outside of these Co-operation zones, like those in the areas of Galway mentioned, were eligible to apply for the general stream of ACRES. 

I am pleased that over 46,000 applications were received for the Scheme.  This is a very strong response from the farming community and shows a commitment to working to protect the environment and habitats.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1769. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason that a farmer is not eligible for the new sheep improvement scheme in circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63482/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) is funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. It provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector and builds on the progress made by the Sheep Welfare Scheme (SWS).

The first year of this five-year scheme will run from 1st February 2023 to 31st December 2023. With effect from Year 2 of the scheme, the scheme year will run from 1st January to 31st December annually.

The Sheep Improvement Scheme opened for applications in November 2022 and closed on 9th January 2023. I am delighted with the uptake in the scheme, with over 19,000 sheep farmers applying to participate in the scheme.

Scheme participants must pick two actions from a menu of options, one for category A and one from category B. In addition, all participants will have to carry out a new action, the Genotyped Ram Action. Applicants must purchase and use a ram in the first three years of the scheme. Applicants with a reference number of over 150 eligible breeding ewes will have to do this action twice over the lifetime of the scheme. Applicants selected the year(s) they will carry out the Genotyped Ram Action when making their application.

The question raised relate to why rams purchased by a farmer within the last 12 months (i.e. in 2022) do not enable the farmer to be eligible for the new Sheep Improvement Scheme. The scheme requirement is that the four or five star rams must be purchased and used in the relevant scheme year selected by the farmer. 

Rams purchased in 2022 will not satisfy the requirement, as the scheme year will not commence until 1st February 2023.

This scheme reflects the commitment of the Government to the sheep sector in Ireland and to ensuring key supports for farmers are developed and maintained under the new CAP.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1770. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider expanding the new ACRES scheme (details supplied) in order to include more applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63550/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the agri-environment climate measure in Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027.  It is a voluntary scheme whereby farmers, when approved into the Scheme, will undertake certain actions on their land for at least five years.

There are two approaches available to farmers under ACRES, namely the ACRES General approach and the ACRES Co-operation approach depending on the location of their holding. 

The Government has committed €1.5 billion to ACRES over its duration with the aim of facilitating the participation of 50,000 farmers. This is a significant number so the intake into the scheme is being phased, with at least two tranches. Tranche 1 of ACRES opened for applications on Monday 17th October 2022 and closed Wednesday 7th December 2022. Phasing the intake into the Scheme helps to spread the workload on advisors.  Intake into the Green Low Carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS), the predecessor to ACRES, was also on a tranche basis for the same reason. 

Applications for Tranche 1 are closed, however,  it is anticipated that ACRES Tranche 2 will open for applications in Quarter 4 of 2023. 

I am delighted to see the level of interest and uptake in ACRES with farmers very keen on participating in the scheme. Tranche 1 of the scheme is over-subscribed with over 46,000 applicants. The level of interest shows clearly how engaged and ambitious our farm families are for embracing the climate and biodiversity challenge. 

ACRES has proven to be a strong and farmer-friendly scheme which has caught the imagination of the farming public. Regarding the large number of applications, I am currently reviewing the matter regarding the number of applications to be approved .