Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The person named was approved into Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), with a contract commencement date of 1 January 2023.

As the deputy is aware, there was unprecedented demand under ACRES Tranche 1. This is a reflection of the interest amongst farmers in taking on actions to address climate, biodiversity, and environmental issues. In response, all eligible Tranche 1 applications were approved, with just under 46,000 active contracts now in place.

As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, all ACRES applications must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue. Validations are currently being carried out and officials continue to work to expedite payments, but with the unprecedented numbers, it was not possible to get all ACRES participants paid by the 2023 year end.

I can confirm that the ACRES claim for the person named is progressing through the necessary validation checks, and officials are working actively to facilitate payment in the coming weeks.