Written answers

Monday, 9 September 2024

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Agriculture Supports

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1293.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applicants that have joined each of the ACRES 1 and ACRES 2 schemes respectively; the number that have since withdrawn from both schemes; broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35613/24]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The following tables represent the total number of ACRES Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 applications that were approved, withdrawn and that are now currently active per county as of 3rd September 2024.

Tranche 1

County Approved applications Withdrawn applications Active applications
Carlow 489 19 470
Cavan 1713 68 1645
Clare 3017 83 2934
Cork 3755 136 3619
Donegal 4953 110 4843
Dublin 72 0 72
Galway 5590 153 5437
Kerry 3551 116 3435
Kildare 282 13 269
Kilkenny 637 29 608
Laois 452 10 442
Leitrim 2134 41 2093
Limerick 1398 53 1345
Longford 1262 31 1231
Louth 255 5 250
Mayo 5795 128 5667
Meath 474 13 461
Monaghan 719 31 688
Offaly 720 31 689
Roscommon 2629 51 2578
Sligo 1755 52 1703
Tipperary 1651 54 1597
Waterford 510 29 481
Westmeath 937 34 903
Wexford 1044 44 1000
Wicklow 591 12 579
Total 46385 1346 45039

Tranche 2

County Approved applications Withdrawn Applications Active applications
Carlow 74 0 74
Cavan 396 12 384
Clare 621 4 617
Cork 636 17 619
Donegal 814 17 797
Dublin 11 0 11
Galway 1395 70 1,325
Kerry 581 5 576
Kildare 103 0 103
Kilkenny 158 3 155
Laois 162 1 161
Leitrim 325 5 320
Limerick 388 4 384
Longford 256 5 251
Louth 50 2 48
Mayo 1210 18 1,192
Meath 211 3 208
Monaghan 284 12 272
Offaly 175 6 169
Roscommon 485 5 480
Sligo 443 10 433
Tipperary 343 7 336
Waterford 94 1 93
Westmeath 271 7 264
Wexford 108 2 106
Wicklow 104 1 103
Total 9698 217 9481

Of the Tranche 1 withdrawals, 75% withdrew before the commencement of 2023 payments in December 2023.

As participation in ACRES is a five-year commitment, a certain level of withdrawals was expected. While the reason for withdrawal from ACRES is not always provided, many are understood to be due to a change in the farmer's circumstances between the time the application was submitted and its approval. The decision to withdraw may also arise due to other options becoming available to the farmer such as participation in other schemes, or through retirement, illness and land use changes.

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