Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 March 2025
394. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 862 of 5 February 2025, if all outstanding GLAS and ACRES payments have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13214/25]
View answerA total of €247.4 million has been paid to 42,631 participants (25,537 General and 17,094 Co-operation), or 95% of all ACRES participants, in respect of their participation in ACRES in 2023. Consequentially, 2,302 farmers have yet to receive their final payments for 2023. Of these, 2,008 have already received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000, respectively.
I can confirm that advance payments totalling €188.9 million have now been paid to 43,822 farmers in respect of their participation in ACRES in 2024. This number of recipients represents just under 81% of all ACRES participants. Advance payments in respect of scheme participation in 2024 have still to be made to 10,453 ACRES participants across Tranches 1 and 2.
My Department is continuing to progress the contracts awaiting final payment in respect of 2023 and/or advance payment in respect of 2024, with the target of having as many as possible cleared by May 2025, with the most complex cases to be finalised in June 2025 at the latest.
With regard to GLAS, I can confirm that 226 herdowners are due a GLAS payment. This can be categorised as follows:
• 61 herdowners are owed an advance and/or balance payment for one or multiple Scheme years,
• 165 GLAS 3 herdowners are owed 2022 Rare Breed payment to finalise their 2022 Scheme Year payment, as the Rare Breeds payment issued a year in arrears.
In addition, GLAS officials have identified approximately 60 cases requiring financial reconciliation. These are a combination of top-up to system payments, penalty refunds, reversals and posting of debts following revised decisions.
I can assure you that everything is being done to pay, as soon as possible, all ACRES and the remaining GLAS participants who clear pre-payment checks.
