The latest Department of Agriculture update on its progress in issuing delayed Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payments shows that 197 farmers have yet to receive a penny for two years of their participation in the scheme.
Well over 1,000 ACRES participants are still owed some element of their payments.
A further 17 farmer received balancing payments for the 2023 scheme year in the week up to 15 August, with an average of just under €1,200 made to these farmers in the latest payment run.
The Department has yet to clear 217 farmers of what they are owed for participating in ACRES that year and of this number, just under 200 have received no payment whatsoever as 2023 payments must issue before 2024’s can.
Around 5% of those still owed advance 2024 ACRES payments – some 52 farmers – were paid over the Department’s last payment.
This leaves 1,030 ACRES participants still waiting on the 85% advance payment for last year.
The balancing element of 2024 payments was cleared for 189 farmers in the latest payment run.
The Department’s update did not state how many farmers are still waiting on a balancing payment for 2024, but it did state that over 96% of the just under 52,000 farmers participating are now up to date on payments.
NPI payment claims
The 2025 window for farmers in ACRES co-operation project areas to apply for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) funding.
Some 112 claims were submitted for NPIs in 2022, while another 27 have been submitted for 2024.
The 2025 window is scheduled to close in mid-October.
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