Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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245. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide detail on the dedicated funding which will be made available for the upcoming tranche of the organic farming scheme. [38492/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Organic Farming Scheme was allocated funding of €56 million in the last CAP over the period 2014-2020. In the new CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027, funding of €256 million has been allocated - virtually a five fold increase.

Along with increased advisory, marketing and processor supports, this has driven a trebling of the area farmed organically in the last three years, to 225,000 hectares, or 5% of Ireland's utilisable agricultural area.

Negotiations around next year's budget are continuing and details will be announced on budget day.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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246. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide detail on the measures he is taking to ensure a timely release of ACRES funding in year two. [38493/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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ACRES is an environmental scheme that is unprecedented in the scale of its ambition, and it has enormous potential to deliver significant long-term dividends for farmers and for the environment. However, I want to acknowledge the delays that have been experienced in the processing of payments for farmers who joined ACRES in Tranche 1.

The remaining year one balancing payments are being significantly resolved this month and I look forward to both Tranche 1 and 2 payments proceeding according to committed timelines for 2024. Currently work is progressing to ensure the commencement of 2024 advance payments for both Tranche 1 and 2 ACRES participants by the end of November 2024.

For my Department, this is being informed by, and is benefiting from, the experience gained from the processing of the 2023 scheme year payments, which in many cases was significantly delayed due to the complexities associated with payment calculations, particularly in respect of those participants implementing results-based actions.

For participants, EU regulations stipulate that payments under all EU-funded schemes can only issue when the required validation checks have been carried out and passed. All necessary information to enable 2024 ACRES payments to be calculated needs to be provided to my Department by advisors on behalf of their clients. This includes the submission of completed scorecards, where applicable, and the submission of Low Emission Slurry Spreading returns where this action has been chosen. In addition, each participant is required to complete a one-day training course in the first year of their contract. I would urge all advisors and farmers to ensure that all outstanding requirements are fulfilled in order to facilitate the earliest possible payment of participants.

I am very anxious to ensure that my Department continues to issue these important payments to farmers in the most efficient and timely manner possible, and this remains a key priority for me.