Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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100. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on reforms to ACRES to allow non-turbary and turbary areas to be scored independently of each other; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25296/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the main agri-environment climate measure under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. This Government has committed €1.5 billion to the Scheme over its duration, which is the largest amount ever committed to an agri-environment scheme.

This financial commitment highlights the anticipated contribution of the Scheme to the delivery of long-term environmental improvement through the participation by a significant number of farmers. with each making a strong improvement on their farm.

Some 46,000 farmers have been accepted into this scheme to date, which shows the level of interest, the commitment and environmental ambition of our farmers in contributing to the long-term ambition of delivering on environmental and climate objectives.

As the Deputy is aware, there are two approaches within the Scheme – ACRES General and ACRES Co-operation. Commonage falls within both approaches and is a mandatory action for all ACRES participants with commonage land.

While it is a results-based action in the ACRES Co-operation, it is only commonages greater than 10 hectares within the ACRES General area that will qualify for a results-based payment. The purpose of a results-based system is to reward good environmental practice and encourage increased ambition through subsequent increased scores and resulting increased payments.

Let me be very clear - the ACRES scheme does not prohibit any activity, including active turbary.

While fully appreciating the rights of farmers to cut turf, my Department and the Co-operation Teams, who are assisting farmers in the ACRES Co-operation zones, are conscious that active turf-cutting could have a disproportionate impact on scores on commonage.

To ensure ACRES participants on commonage lands are rewarded for their environmental ambition, it is now proposing that non-turbary and turbary areas are scored independently of each other.

In doing so, any scoring related to active turbary will be confined to those sub-units of active turbary, thereby allowing the vast majority of commonage land to be assessed independently of turbary, where such rights exist.

ACRES farmers will be paid in full for their combined score on non-turbary and turbary areas, subject to scheme ceilings. I am satisfied that this approach strikes a good balance between the environmental ambition of the scheme while respecting the traditions of our commonage activities.