Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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454. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will carry out an ACRES commonage score review as a matter of urgency (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31507/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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455. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he and his officials will meet with a group (details supplied) or their agents from County Kerry as a matter of priority with a view to addressing a long outstanding issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31508/25]

Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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456. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will urgently intervene in regard to the classification and score results reported for Alohert commonage assessment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31514/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 454, 455 and 456 together.

I note that this issue relates to the assessment and scoring of commonage in Alohert for the making of results-based payments under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

I have been advised that the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team in the ACRES Co-operation zone in question, namely the ACRES Kerry/West Cork CP Team, have engaged with the group in respect of the matter and have offered to walk the commonage at a time that suits all parties.

A procedure has been put in place whereby a formal review of commonage scores may be sought by participants in ACRES if they so wish. Details of this process are outlined in the ‘Review of ACRES commonage scores – January 2025’ document available on my Department's website at gov.ie - Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) ().

This procedure consists of a three-step process whereby:

1. The participant submits a request, in the first instance, to the relevant CP team or Commonage scoring contractor which assessed and scored the commonage in question for an internal review to be undertaken.
2. If the participant is dissatisfied with the outcome of this internal review by the CP Team or Commonage scoring contractor, they may then submit a request for an internal review to be undertaken by my Department.
3. If the participant is dissatisfied with the outcome of this review by my Department, they may then submit an appeal to the independent Agriculture Appeals Office.