Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2026
45. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total funding available for ACRES non-productive investments in 2026; whether it will be sufficient to meet all eligible applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52132/26]
View answerThe Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme, or ACRES, is the current agri-climate environment measure provided under the 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan (CSP). There are two approaches within ACRES namely ACRES General and ACRES Co-Operation.
Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) are actions that are available to participants in the Co-operation approach of ACRES to directly address environmental issues on the farm, thereby increasing the farmer's capacity to improve field scores through appropriate management, as well as to contribute to wider environmental objectives.
A specific NPI application window opens each year, at which time applications in the form of Annual Work Plans (AWPs), are prepared and submitted by ACRES advisors on behalf of their clients. All submitted AWPs are then screened by the local Co-Operation Project teams. Once applications have been screened, approval letters issue. If the participant carries out an NPI, they may then submit a claim for payment.
For 2026 €10.5 million has been allocated for NPI payments and I expect this full allocation to be used in 2026 subject to the submission of complete payment claims. The claims system is currently available for claims in respect based on 2024 AWPs, with the 2025 AWP claims system to open later this month.
As the Deputy may be aware the application window for NPIs proposed in 2026 AWPs opened on 1 July, as detailed in ACRES Circular No. 13 of 2026. An updated specification is also available on my Department’s website.
