Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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1154. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on delays in ACRES payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56222/23]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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1209. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for specific dates when the delayed ACRES general payments can be expected. [56827/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1154, 1161 and 1209 together.

In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) was launched in 2022. There was exceptional demand for entry, which demonstrates the interest of farmers to take on actions to address climate, biodiversity and environmental issues.

While it was initially planned to take in up to 50,000 applicants over two Tranches, with 30,000 in Tranche 1, the decision was made to accept all valid applications submitted under Tranche 1. There are currently just under 46,000 farmers actively participating in the scheme.

The decision to accept all valid applications for Tranche 1 put significant pressure on the ability to pay all participants in 2023. ACRES payments commenced on December 15^th, with payment issuing in the initial payment run to two thirds of all ACRES General participants. ACRES General payments will continue to issue in the coming weeks, and on an ongoing basis, as cases are cleared for payment.

Due to the additional complexity associated with the Co-operation Project (CP) stream, payments for ACRES CP participants will begin to issue in February 2024.

A Frequently Asked Questions document on ACRES Tranche 1 payments has been circulated to all ACRES advisors and CP teams, and is published on my Department’s website.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1155. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will advise on the fencing of uplands under various agricultural schemes; if he will confirm that it is not necessary to fence unfenced uplands that are being grazed in a traditional manner, as stated by his Department in 2013; the reason guidelines under some schemes instead refer to the use of sheep fencing in mountain or hill areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56280/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Terms and Conditions of the 2023 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based schemes like the Area of Natural Constraint scheme (ANC) specifically covers the situation where there are no fences or physical boundaries present for reference parcels, as can be found in areas of upland.

"In circumstances where there is no clearly visible physical boundary on the imagery but where a boundary exists on the ground, then other reference sources can be provided by applicants to validate their requests, for example folio maps. This typically will arise in cases of unenclosed lands, particularly commonages, but also callow type land."

Therefore, from a BISS and ANC scheme compliance perspective the absence of fencing on commonage lands, where traditionally none have existed, is not deemed a compliance issue nor are there are scheme consequences where livestock subsequently leave the applicants lands due to the lack of fencing once the reference parcel boundary corresponds to a folio boundary or an administrative boundary.

In the case of the Organic Farming scheme, traditional owned unenclosed land is eligible for payment, but commonage lands are not eligible.

Under ACRES, area based actions are paid on eligible BISS areas. Participants in the ACRES General have a condition that ACRES General actions except for commonage must be chosen on enclosed lands. For ACRES Cooperation Project (CP) participants, as a substantial area of their land located within the Cooperation Project Zone would be traditionally unenclosed, there is no additional requirement to fence these CP forage lands to be eligible for ACRES CP results-based payments.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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1156. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he intends to make no fence collars eligible for grant aid in TAMS III, given that they are an effective management tool for grazing livestock on uplands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56281/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holdings. There is an indicative budget of €370 million available for the period 2023-2027, and all investments must be linked to Climate, Environment or Animal Welfare.

Virtual fencing is a new technology, with limited trials conducted in Ireland. It requires the purchase of GPS enabled collars for each animal and the purchase of an annual licence for the operation of the software. It also requires a phone signal over the entire area in which it is to operate, without which the virtual fence cannot update between the controlling software and the collars.

At this point in time the Department is not adding any new investments into the TAMS 3 schemes. However, virtual fencing will be considered in the context of any potential review of investments to be included in the future.