Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) opened for applications on Monday 17th October 2022, and closed on Wednesday 7th December 2022. The closing date was extended by two weeks to facilitate the workload of advisors and to ensure receipt of the best quality applications possible.

The ACRES application process was outlined to ACRES advisors at both the ACRES advisor training and by Circular No. 10, dated November 9th 2022. The process required the following three steps to be completed:

1. Submit an Expression of Interest;

2. Prepare and submit a Farm Sustainability Plan (FSP);

3. Complete and submit the ACRES application (to include relevant uploads, namely, the submission of valid soil sample results where available & proof of membership of breed society if selecting Conservation of Rare Breeds action).

The ACRES team have completed an extensive search to trace the possible submission of an ACRES application in respect of each of the herd numbers mentioned. This search has confirmed that, while the first two steps of the process were undertaken, the final step was not completed. As the application process was not completed, no applications were submitted on behalf of the persons named. This has been communicated to the ACRES advisor in question on a number of occasions previously.