Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is an agri-environment climate measure in Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027. The Government has committed €1.5 billion to ACRES over its duration and every effort is being made to ensure the Scheme not only addresses a range of environmental, climate and biodiversity objectives but is also attractive to farmers as it is necessary for them to actually undertake the actions to achieve the targeted results.

I was pleased to recently announce that I am in a position to accept in all 46,200 applications who applied in Tranche 1 of the scheme. I can also confirm that I will be opening Tranche 2 later this year.

I would encourage farmers to look at the eligibility criteria in each of the Tiers in ACRES General in more detail and to consider all of the actions available in ACRES. There are a number of ways in which farmers may be eligible for entry into ACRES under Tier 1 or Tier 2. A farmer may, for example, be eligible for Tier 2 priority entry to the ACRES General approach, if he/she adopts at least one of the tree planting actions which are Tree planting (minimum ‘min’ of 100 trees), Planting trees in riparian buffer zones (min 10 trees) or Tree belts for ammonia capture from farmyards (min 0.18 hectare). Interested farmers should review all available actions with their adviser in advance of Tranche 2 opening.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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435. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the situation in relation to agricultural payments for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18986/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department issued an annual payment statement and cover letter directly to the person named on 20 April 2023. The statement lists all scheme payments paid during the 2022 calendar year.