Despite the Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon committing to having all outstanding ACRES payments cleared by the end of June, Irish Farmers Journal analysis reveals that over €30m has still to be issued to farmers for 2024.

This figure includes almost €16.5m in advance payments still to be made to ACRES general farmers, as well as a further €8.6m to those in the ACRES co-operation stream.

Balancing payments owed for 2024 to almost 9,000 farmers – which are generally worth around 15% of the overall amount or almost €750 on average – will add a further €6.5m to the final total.

These estimates are based on an average payout recorded last year for ACRES general of €5,200 per applicant and €5,100 for ACRES co-operation farmers, combined with the numbers of farmers to be paid nationally.

While the Department has ramped up the issuing of ACRES payments over the last month, these efforts have been described as “too little too late” by the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA).

The INHFA said the ongoing problems with payments have been compounded by delays in the introduction of measures such as landscape actions which were designed to improve returns to farmers.

Meanwhile, the Department began issuing scorecards this week for 2025 in respect of lands on which results-based ACRES payments are made.