Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
621. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of participants in ACRES who experienced delays in receiving payments in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of participants awaiting payment for more than four weeks, eight weeks, 12 weeks and 24 weeks beyond the scheduled payment date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68613/26]
View answerThe 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 53,000 participants in ACRES.
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not hold data on the specific periods for which ACRES payments remain outstanding. It is my ambition to process payment for as many participants as possible as quickly as possible. This ambition is demonstrated by both the advance and balancing payments issuing earlier and to a higher number of participants in each year of the scheme to date. As there are a variety of reasons why a participant may not be included on the initial payment run such as outstanding documentation or issues that my officials must investigate within ACRES systems it is not possible to provide the data requested.
Over 99% of all participants in ACRES are fully paid in respect of their participation in the Scheme in respect of 2023 and 2024, while almost 98% of the participants are now also fully paid up to date in respect of 2025.
These payments will bring the amount paid in respect of ACRES since its commencement in 2023 to €788.2 million. A further sum of almost €9.5 million has been paid to farmers in the ACRES Co-operation approach for the implementation of approved non-productive investments under the Scheme.
While I am pleased with the momentum that has been generated in processing ACRES payments I can assure you that my Department is fully committed to resolving the remaining matters as a priority. ACRES pay runs are taking place regularly across all scheme years and tranches. As is the case with all EU co-funded schemes, ACRES payment claims must pass regulatory controls and validations before payment can issue.
Advance payments in respect of the 2026 scheme year are scheduled to commence in quarter four of 2026, which is in line with previous years.
