Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said that he is determined to address the challenges farmers have faced in ACRES.

Currently over 15,500 farmers are still awaiting payments under ACRES, representing almost 30% of the 55,000 farmers taking part in the scheme.

Minister Heydon said it is his priority to get as many cases sorted in the next payment run and get to "the bottom" of the issues. Payment runs are taking place every two weeks.

"We will move might and main to get this addressed as quickly as possible. It has become a real bugbear for the affected farmers. If they are caught in this, the frustration is palpable if you haven't received your payment or full payment. I understand the significant challenges for those who have not got that clarity and have a payment outstanding," he said at the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) AGM in Portlaoise on Thursday 13 February.

The newly appointed minister said that he met with Department of Agriculture officials on the issue on Thursday adding that where extra resources are needed, they will be found in order to get payments issued.

Confidence

"Farmers are up for environmental action. They have demonstrated that time and again. It is a priority for me to restore the confidence that is needed in this agri-environmental scheme, which so many farmers have signed up for," he said.

Currently a total of 13,051 farmers are waiting on ACRES payments for 2024, while a further 2,764 have not been paid balancing payments for 2023.