The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) annual declaration for the conservation of rare breeds can now be completed for 2024.

The declaration may be completed by a participant or their adviser and must be submitted online through the agfood.ie facility by 15 November 2025.

Payment for the conservation of rare breeds action is made in arrears based on the monthly average livestock units (LU) of owned registered animals over the previous recording year.

The Department of Agriculture ACRES section states that payment for the 2024 claim will form part of the 2025 balance payment, which is due to issue in the second quarter of 2026.

Submission of a claim will require proof of membership of the relevant breed society and identification documents and certificates issued by the relevant breed society for each registered animal.

Participants must have at least 0.10 LU eligible for payment each year.

Values

The livestock unit values for different categories of stock are outlined as follows:

  • Bovines under one year old are 0.4 LU.
  • Bovines aged from one to two years are 0.7 LU.
  • Male bovines aged two years and over are 1 LU.
  • Suckler cows and female bovines aged two years and over are 0.8 LU.
  • Equines over six months are 0.8 LU.
  • Sheep/goats over six months of age are 0.1 LU.

    • The breeds eligible under the conservation of rare breeds action in ACRES include the cattle breeds of Kerry, Dexter, Irish Maol (Irish Moiled) and Droimeann, the horse breeds Connemara Pony, Irish Draught and Kerry Bog Pony and the Galway Sheep breed and Old Irish Goat.

    A users guide for the submission of this claim through the ACRES portal is available on the ACRES web page.