Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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281. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide a breakdown of the budget and the total spend for ACRES in each of the years 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24912/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the flagship environmental scheme provided under the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan, with €1.5 billion in Exchequer and EU funding allocated over the course of the scheme.

Following the payment run of the 9th of May 2025, a total of just under €455.8 million has been paid to participants in respect of their participation in ACRES.

Payments amounting to just under €248.3 million have issued to 43,575 participants, or just over 97% of participants, in respect of their participation in ACRES in 2023.

I can also confirm that a total of €207.5 million has issued in advance payments to 48,337 farmers in respect of their participation in ACRES in 2024. This number of recipients represents just under 90% of all ACRES participants.

Payments continue to issue on a weekly basis as cases pass all required validation checks. My Department will continue to issue regular online updates over the coming period on the progress being made, with the expectation of having the vast majority of payments in respect of farmers’ participation in ACRES in 2023 and 2024 made by the end of May 2025, and the remaining more complex cases paid by the end of June 2025.