Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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1230. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when an application for ACRES will be approved for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57145/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm that an application for Tranche 2 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) was submitted on behalf of the person named.

In Budget 2024 I increased the allocation for ACRES by €40m, bringing the total 2024 scheme allocation to €200 million - a substantial increase on the 2023 budget of €160 million. The provision of additional funding will enable delivery on the Government’s commitment to have 50,000 farmers participating in ACRES. With just under 46,000 farmers currently participating under Tranche 1, in the region of 4,000 additional contracts will be offered under ACRES Tranche 2.

All applications will be validated against the eligibility criteria outlined in the scheme specifications and terms and conditions over the coming weeks. All valid applications will then be entered into a ranking and selection process. Following this, all applicants will be notified whether their applications have been successful or unsuccessful. It is expected that these notifications will issue to applicants in the first quarter of the year.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, a flagship environmental scheme, namely the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), was launched last year. There was exceptional demand for entry into the Scheme, 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 applicants in two Tranches with 30,000 in Tranche 1, as a Government the decision was made to accept all valid applications submitted, and there are now just under 46,000 farmers actively involved in the Scheme. The decision to accept all 46,000 applicants has put significant pressure on the ability to pay all participants in 2023.

Officials have been working to expedite payments, but with the unprecedented numbers, it has not been possible to get all participants paid in ACRES by the year end. Due to the additional complexity associated with the Co-operation Project (CP) stream, payments for ACRES CP participants are being progressed and will begin to issue in February 2024. The person named is a participant in ACRES CP.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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1232. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if grants are available for a person on the farm register to remove trees on private land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57165/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not provide grants for individuals, including farmers, for the removal of trees on private land. However, recognising the importance of managing forests the €1.3 billion Forestry Programme provides a range of measures to support forest owners. For example, my Department will provide funding under the Woodland Improvement scheme and Native Woodland Conservation Scheme to support existing forest owners in the management of broadleaved forests. The Forestry Programme will also introduce on a pilot basis payments for Ecosystem Services with premium payments over a seven year period to existing forest owners who successfully enter the Continuous Cover Forestry and Native Woodland Conservation Scheme.

Details of all schemes available under the new Forestry Programme 2023 – 2027 are available on my Departments website gov.ie - Forestry Grants and Schemes (www.gov.ie)

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine does not offer funding for the removal of roadside trees or for private homeowners living in the countryside with trees in their rural gardens. The Department has, however published guidance on the subject of roadside trees (“A Guide for Landowners to Managing Roadside Trees”) and this can be accessed at the Department website.

Finally, the care and management of trees in rural gardens including those adjacent to roads is the responsibility of the landowner on whose land the trees are growing. It is advisable that landowners make themselves aware of the full legal extent of their land ownership and of any obligations arising from this.