Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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372. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of 2023 BISS applicants in Ireland that have encountered Departmental IT issues in relation the computation of space for nature percentages for both single measure ( >7% of farm area) and the enhanced measure ( >10% of farm area); the number of these farmers that are still without their ECO scheme payment; when his Department will rectify the issues for these BISS applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8733/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In September 2022, my Department published indicative Space for Nature estimates using satellite imagery for all farmers. Farmers and their FAS Advisors then had the opportunity to review those estimates before the opening of the BISS and Eco-scheme online application system in February 2023. Where a farmer decided to apply for Eco-schemes under Agricultural Practice 1 (Space for Nature), they had to be 7% or greater for the standard measure or 10% or greater for the enhanced measure.

Where at application stage in 2023, the farmer was below those percentages, the farmer or FAS Advisor could mark in additional features that were not already marked as such in indicative estimates or features such as a new hedge or grove of trees which had only recently been planted.

Where such edits or additional features are marked in at application stage, these added features must be validated and digitised by my Department. All Eco-Scheme digitising tasks for 2023 applications are up to date. Payruns are continuing under Eco-schemes with almost 117,000 having already been paid almost €297 million. There are c. 7,000 Eco-scheme applications still being processed. Not all of these will result in an Eco-scheme payment because in some cases, the farmer or FAS Advisor submitted an application under both a temporary reference number (TRN) and the herdnumber. Approximately 850 of this number were also farmers who chose Agricultural Practice 2 (extensive livestock) but chose to use the 2023 year as the year for stocking. That meant my Department had to wait until February 2024 to verify the stocking rate in 2023. That process is now complete and these cases are being presented for payment.

The 2024 application process for Eco-schemes opened on 20 February 2024 and farmers and FAS Advisors that are applying under Agricultural Practice 1 should ensure that all features applied on exist on the holding and that where additional features are marked in, this is done correctly i.e. that existing hedgerows are not re-mapped.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The revised estimate for my department for 2024 provides €200 million for ACRES payments. The final spending requirement will be determined by the number of contracts that clear payment validations later in the year.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The first payments to ACRES participants issued in December 2023. Just over 17,100 participants in Ireland’s flagship agri-environment scheme were paid an average of €4,460. These payments were made to those in the ACRES General stream. In 2024, over 2,500 additional ACRES general participants were paid an average of €4,610.

The Deputy will be aware of my recent announcements in relation to an interim payment for those ACRES participants that have not yet been paid. I announced that those in ACRES Co-operation Project areas will receive an interim payment of €5,000, while those in the general stream will receive €4,000. Those payments will issue in the coming days, at which point I will have more information on the numbers and the amounts paid.