Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has invested a share of political capital in having the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payments debacle sorted by the end of June.

This commitment could be considered overly ambitious or foolhardy depending on your point of view.

Either way, the move has certainly forced a reaction from the Department of Agriculture, with even ardent critics admitting to a marked improvement in the recent performance of the ACRES section. However, it is still a scandal that more than 5,300 farmers are awaiting payments for 2024, and more than 1,100 of those are also out of pocket for 2023.

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And serious problems remain. A farmer I spoke with recently explained how his wife had been trying for close to 40 minutes to get through to the ACRES section of the Department.

Despite the wait, she was unable to ascertain why her ACRES payment was delayed, what the likely value of her payment will be or when it will be paid.

It’s bad enough not being paid, but not knowing when or if you’ll be paid invariably drives farmers into orbit.

ACRES is the Department’s flagship environment scheme. However, it has been mired in controversy since the start, and has inflicted serious reputational damage on the Department.

The ACRES debacle can’t be undone, but the problems encountered must inform the design and delivery of the Department’s next environmental flagship scheme now that we’ve started to talk of CAP post-2027.

Meanwhile, farmers awaiting ACRES money must be paid – and paid quickly.