Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1024. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all outstanding issues regarding the IT system supporting the ACRES scheme have been resolved; if so, when all outstanding payments will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14933/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Work is continuing on the calculation and processing of ACRES year one payments, and these payments are expected to issue by the end of June.

ACRES General advance payments commenced on December 15^th 2023, and approximately 19,719 farmers were paid a total of €88.356 million by early February 2024.

Due in particular to the additional complexity associated with payments to Co-operation Project (CP) participants, my Department made arrangements for an interim payment to be made to all the remaining applicants who had not yet received an ACRES advance payment. The first interim payment run of €4,000 for ACRES General participants and €5,000 for ACRES CP participants was paid on February 28th 2024, and came to a total of €113,617,000. A second run totalling €5,923,000 was processed last month. A total of 44,780 participants have now received payments totalling €207.8 million.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1025. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the first payments under the ECO scheme issued; the number of payments still outstanding; the reason for the delay in issuing these payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14934/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The first Eco-Scheme payments issued on 31st October 2023. To date my Department has issued Eco-Scheme payment to over 118,357 farmers totalling €306 million. There is currently approx. 1,200 cases still to be processed. The reason for delay in processing these cases is due to change in herd ownership details between the time of application and payment processing. The change of ownership herds are expected to be processed for payment within the next two weeks with any remaining cases to be processed shortly afterwards.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The herdowner named can submit a request a review her 2023 Eco-Scheme application by sending an email to ecoscheme@agriculture.gov.ie with all relevant information relating to her 2023 Eco-Scheme application and stocking rate requirements. The herdowner did apply for AP2 (Extensive Livestock Production - enhanced) within Eco-schemes and using 2023 as the stocking rate year.