Written answers

Tuesday, 4 November 2025

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Agriculture Schemes

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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1398. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in light of the increase in funding for ACRES in 2026, to provide a breakdown of the ACRES budget for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025, to include money allocated to the scheme in each year, and total spend for each year. [57700/25]

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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ACRES is the national agri-environment climate measure under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. A budget of €1.5 billion was allocated to ACRES over the duration of the Scheme. The amount spent in each calendar year is detailed in the below table. Note these payments include all aspects of the scheme such as core payments, ACRES training payments and payments to the Co-Operation Project teams.

Year 2023 2024 2025 to date
Total € 94,467,655.00 € 343,156,073.00 € 105,052,665.00

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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1399. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a breakdown of the number of landscape actions as part of ACRES that have been applied for, approved, claim submitted and paid for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. [57701/25]

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Landscape Actions are large scale complementary environmental actions that will focus on issues at a landscape level such as invasive species management, encroaching scrub on species rich grassland, priority species/habitats and water quality protection. Landscape Actions are available to participants within the Co-Operation approach of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

The first Landscape Actions window opened between 18 July and 30 September 2025. A total of 842 plans containing 6,432 actions were submitted during this time. All applications will now be screened before decision letters issue. It is anticipated that these will issue before the end of the year. Claims and payments systems are being developed and will roll out in 2026.

Photo of Martin KennyMartin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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1400. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for a breakdown of the ACRES budget to show the amount of funding allocated to non-productive investments, landscape actions and the administration of the eight cooperation zones for the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. [57702/25]

Photo of Martin HeydonMartin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The following table demonstrates the payments that have issued to the eight ACRES Co-Operation teams in the calendar years 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025. Payments to farmers in respect of Non-Productive Investments will commence shortly, and those in respect of Landscape Actions will follow in 2026.

- 2023 2024 2025
ACRES CP Teams € 12,531,190.00 € 11,283,803.00 € 8,700,499.32

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