More than 97% of all farmers in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) are now fully paid for 2023 and 2024.

That is according to the latest data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) on the flagship agri-environmental scheme.

The department said that it is continuing to progress the contracts awaiting final payment in respect of 2023 and/or advance payment in respect of 2024, "with those being the more complex cases".

The figures show that a total of €516.6 million was paid up to September 22 to ACRES participants.

Some €267 million of that figure is in respect of participation in the scheme in 2024, while over €249.5 million relates to participation in 2023.

On September 18, 2024 advance payments worth over €141,000 were made to 41 participants, while €25,500 in balancing payments for 2024 was issued to 36 farmers.

One farmer was issued with €14,000 for participating in the scheme in 2023.

The department issued 125,000 ACRES scorecards at the beginning of June, of which 116,922 have been submitted to date.

Scorecards were requested to be submitted by August 31 to allow advance payments to be made in November 2025.

DAFM said it has followed up with ACRES advisors to submit outstanding scorecards as soon as possible.

The claims system for non-productive investments (NPIs) is now open. To date, 364 claims have been submitted for 2023 and 124 have been submitted for 2024.

The application window for Landscape Actions remains open, with the deadline for submission of applications by ACRES Co-operation (CP) teams on behalf of farmers being 5:00p.m on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

The annual declaration for the conservation of rarebreeds action under ACRES, may now be completed for 2024.

All claims in respect of 2024 should be submitted as soon as possible and no later than November 15, 2025.