Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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507. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason there are different scoring timeframes for groups participating in ACRES co-operation project teams; if he will allow the same timeframes across all participants in this category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30920/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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All ACRES participants are subject to the same scoring timelines.

The Deputy will be aware that over 46,000 farmers applied to join the ACRES Scheme and I was pleased to approve entry to the Scheme to all those that qualified earlier this year.

ACRES comprises two streams, Co-operation Project (CP) and General. Participants in the eight CP Zones will receive results-based payments, whereas those in the General stream could have chosen results-based actions on application. All of these lands will be scored over the summer months, by approved ACRES advisors, who have completed the mandatory in-field scorecard training. Scorecards are already being submitted by advisors daily. As part of the specification for Tranche 1 of ACRES, all relevant parcels must be scored and submitted by 31st August 2023.