Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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208. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the next payment run will be made for farmers who are not paid their ACRES first payment for the scheme year 2025, and the figures not paid yet for 2025 first payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68177/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme, or 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. There are currently just over 53,600 participants in ACRES.

Almost €700 million has been paid in respect of the core ACRES scheme to date (1 December 2025) to ACRES participants. This includes almost €179.6 million which has issued in recent weeks in advance payments in respect of 2025. I can confirm that a total of 41,734 participants, representing just under 78% of active participating herds, have now received their 2025 advance payments. There are just under 12,000 herdowners awaiting their 2025 advance payments.

The issuing of advance payments in respect of 2025 commenced on 6 November 2025. My Department is continuing to process payment claims to issue in the next scheduled payrun. The schedule for future payments will be confirmed when finalised.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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209. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has enough funding to pay farmers in the different agricultural schemes the money they are owed before the year end 2025; and given his Department’s payments and budget, whether he envisages a shortfall in any scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68178/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department's gross voted allocation for 2025, including capital carryover, is €2.172 billion. In addition, my Department also received a Supplementary Estimate allocation of €98 million to address funding shortfalls for TB and ACRES. This brings the total voted gross allocation for 2025 to €2.270 billion.

Within this, the allocation for livestock schemes is €131.7 million, with a further €295 million allocated to ACRES.

In addition my Department also makes EU scheme payments totalling in excess of €1.25 billion to Irish farmers.

My Department is fully committed to making payments to farmers under the various schemes at the earliest date possible and to paying the maximum number of farmers possible. This commitment to farmers is evidenced in the very high payment rates achieved across all schemes over the last number of years in respect of both Exchequer and EU funded schemes.

The timelines for all schemes, including the planned payment dates are outlined in the Farmers' Charter.

Payments under a number of schemes, including the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and Complementary Redistribution Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) are well underway, having commenced in September and October respectively.

In addition payments under the ACRES scheme commenced recently, while payments under the Beef Welfare Scheme 2025 commenced Monday (1 December).

Payments under all schemes will continue on an ongoing basis as further cases are cleared for payment.