Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 October 2025
755. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on his Department’s launching of complementary actions in 2025 under ACRES cooperation projects, aimed at reduction in land use emissions, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55518/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraParticipants in the Co-Operation stream of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) have the opportunity to apply for complementary actions in the form of Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) and Landscape Actions (LAs).
NPIs are actions designed to achieve environmental improvements on the farm, which can also contribute to wider environmental objectives and increase a farmer's capacity to improve field scores through more appropriate management.
LAs can be large-scale or more targeted measures which focus on issues such as invasive species management, encroaching scrub, threatened species and water quality protection, thereby offering benefits for both the local and the wider environment.
Both NPIs and LAs can improve the results-based score achieved on the particular holding, potentially leading to increased payments for participants in the scheme.
A variety of Hydromorphology actions are available as part of the LAs, which could contribute to peatland restoration, although on a relatively small scale. The first application window for LAs opened on 18th July and closed on 30th September, with 842 plans containing a total of 6,432 actions submitted during this time. These applications are currently being evaluated and it is expected that decision letters will issue before the end of the year. It is also expected that a further application window will open during 2026.
