Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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559. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine the ACRES landscape actions delays and the reason farmers that would have wished to pursue same are adversely affected (details supplied); if he will assist farmers affected by this, including farmers with commonages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9143/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) was rolled out in phases due to the high participation levels and the wide array of opportunities offered by the scheme, all of which required the creation of new and extensive IT systems. Additionally, there was no delay between the end of GLAS and the start of ACRES, meaning IT development had to take place while the scheme was operational.

Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) and Landscape Actions (LAs) offer Co-operation participants the chance to carry out complementary environmental actions. These initiatives help farmers, including those with commonage, to improve the ecological condition of their land, boosting their score and increasing their potential ACRES payment. The development of Landscape Actions is currently ongoing. As LAs aim to address more complex or large-scale environmental goals across holdings or commonages within the CP zones, the expected rollout is set for Q2-Q3 2025.

Further updates will be shared as these elements continue to evolve.