The consequences of a delay in payments for some applicants to the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) are “dire” according to an independent TD.
Roscommon-Galway TD, Michael Fitzmaurice, has expressed concern over the significant delays affecting farmers, specifically in the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) areas, due to ongoing I.T problems within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Earlier this year, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue decided to approve all 46,000 valid applicants into ACRES, across both the General and CP streams.
Yesterday, Minister McConalogue confirmed that while applicants to ACRES General would be paid before Christmas, farmers who applied for ACRES CP would have to wait until February 2024 to receive scheme payments.
ACRES payment delay
The delay, pushing payments until February, significantly impacts farmers who heavily rely on these payments for their livelihoods, according to Michael Fitzmaurice.
The independent TD said that despite earlier assurances regarding the full operational readiness of the I.T system, farmers in CP areas, who have “diligently followed all department requirements and adhered to deadlines”, now face an unacceptable delay in their much-anticipated payments.
“This delay, particularly impacting farmers in CP zones, is utterly unacceptable. Farmers have complied with all the stipulations set by the department, even under threats of removal from the scheme if deadlines were not met,” the TD said.
“Now, due to the department’s failure to meet their own deadlines, farmers are left facing an uncertain and challenging holiday season.
“The consequences of this delay are dire, potentially resulting in financial hardship for farmers and contractors relying on these payments.
“Similar situations in the past in other EU countries prompted governments to expedite fund dispersals directly from the exchequer to alleviate farmers’ financial burdens until system issues were resolved.”
The Roscommon-Galway TD has called on DAFM to act swiftly to rectify this situation.
“Failure to address this promptly could result in a bleak holiday season for many farmers, despite their unwavering compliance,” he stated.