Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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313. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can reconsider the rules excluding robotics farmers from the new TAMS scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10599/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I was pleased to recently announce the new and expanded range of investments under TAMS 3. This makes it our largest every on-farm capital investment scheme. I have introduced some changes to TAMS under TAMS 3 to continue to align it with overall agriculture and environmental priorities.  

On the dairy sector, the list of potential investments is larger than ever before. In addition to the investments being carried over from TAMS II there is a wide range of additional investments being introduced for farmers, including farm roadways, bovine fencing, health and fertility monitoring systems, automatic drafting systems, public road underpasses and milk recording systems.

When a farmer is planning to update their dairy system, investment in the milking machine is only a portion of the required investment.  It is important that dairy farmers also invest in animal housing, slurry storage, fodder storage and making their holding more accessible.  To this end the TAMS schemes are designed to encourage farmers to invest in these animal welfare and environmentally beneficial investments before investing in additional milking equipment. It is for this reason that there are limits on robotic milkers where farmers have previously benefitted from this under the TAMS scheme before.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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314. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when data checks regarding curlew action will be completed for a person (details supplied) in order that their 2021 GLAS 3 balancing payment can issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10601/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The person named was approved to GLAS 3 with a contract commencement date of 1st January 2017. Payments have issued to this Herd for scheme years 2017 – 2020  inclusive.  The GLAS advance payment for 2021 issued on 16th November 2021.

An administrative penalty was imposed on this application in respect of the Curlew action.  Processing of the recalculated 2021 Balance Payment for the person named is now at an advanced stage and we expect payment to shortly.

Once payment of the 2021 Balance has issued, processing of the 2022 advance payment can commence. Administrative checks take place on all GLAS claims. All cases must clear validation checks before payment can issue. GLAS payments are continuing on a weekly basis as applications pass all validation checks and are approved for payment.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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315. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a farmer (details supplied) in County Kerry will be accepted into the ACRES scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10620/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I was delighted to see that so many farmers applied for ACRES, indicating their willingness to farm for the benefit of the environment and society.  The submission of over 46,000 applications shows the level of interest in participating in an agri-environment scheme.  The Scheme forms part of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which is the successor to Ireland’s Rural Development Plan 2014-2020.

I was delighted yesterday to be able to confirm that all ACRES applicants who had submitted valid applications will be accepted to ACRES. 

Approval letters will issue in respect of valid applications, week beginning 6^thMarch.  Contracts commence from 1^stJanuary 2023, for Tranche 1 and will be for five years.  Approval summaries showing mapped actions (if any) on participants’ farms will issue by end March.  These will be accompanied by a species identification booklet to help farmers identify indicator species on their land that will be used in the scoring process.

For those participants in the Co-operation (CP) stream, CP Teams will begin applying the appropriate scorecards to participants’ holdings.  The land will be scored over the summer months by advisors, the scores achieved will be used to calculate the payments made.  Scorecards must be submitted by 31^stAugust 2023, for Tranche 1 participants.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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316. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a farmer (details supplied) in County Kerry will be accepted into the ACRES scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10632/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I was delighted to see that so many farmers applied for ACRES, indicating their willingness to farm for the benefit of the environment and society.  The submission of over 46,000 applications shows the level of interest in participating in an agri-environment scheme.  The Scheme forms part of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 which is the successor to Ireland’s Rural Development Plan 2014-2020.

I was pleased to announce yesterday that all those who had submitted valid applications will be accepted to ACRES. 

Approval letters will issue in respect of valid applications, week beginning 6^thMarch.  Contracts commence from 1^stJanuary 2023, for Tranche 1 and will be for five years.  Approval summaries showing mapped actions (if any) on participants’ farms will issue by end March.  These will be accompanied by a species identification booklet to help farmers identify indicator species on their land that will be used in the scoring process.

For those participants in the Co-operation (CP) stream, CP Teams will begin applying the appropriate scorecards to participants’ holdings.  The land will be scored over the summer months by advisors, the scores achieved will be used to calculate the payments made.  Scorecards must be submitted by 31^stAugust 2023, for Tranche 1 participants.