Over 1,400 farmers awaiting ACRES payments
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has confirmed that over 1,400 farmers are awaiting payments under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
ACRES is the flagship environmental scheme in Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
The scheme has a total budget of €1.5 billion made up of national exchequer and EU funding over the period.
Over 53,000 farmers are participating across the two tranches of the scheme.
ACRES
Minister Heydon told Fianna Fáil TD Aindrias Moynihan that his department has now fully paid over 99% of all participants in ACRES in respect of their participation in the scheme in 2023 and 2024.
He said that over 97% of the participants are now also fully paid up to date in respect of 2025.
"Currently there are 1,446 scheme participants awaiting payment.
"It is not possible to provide a value for outstanding payments as the value of a payment is only confirmed as it is issued," he said.
Data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) shows that as of July 28, 1,290 farmers were due payments for the 2025 scheme year, 155 for 2024 and one for 2023.
Mayo is the county with the highest number of farmers waiting for ACRES payments at 205.
| County | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Cavan | 0 | 3 | 26 |
| Clare | 0 | 8 | 68 |
| Cork | 0 | 27 | 96 |
| Donegal | 0 | 19 | 155 |
| Dublin | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Galway | 0 | 35 | 137 |
| Kerry | 0 | 12 | 119 |
| Kildare | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Kilkenny | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| Laois | 0 | 2 | 13 |
| Leitrim | 0 | 4 | 59 |
| Limerick | 0 | 7 | 37 |
| Longford | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Louth | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Mayo | 1 | 9 | 195 |
| Meath | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Monaghan | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Offaly | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Roscommon | 0 | 4 | 60 |
| Sligo | 0 | 2 | 51 |
| Tipperary | 0 | 5 | 50 |
| Waterford | 0 | 3 | 16 |
| Westmeath | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| Wexford | 0 | 5 | 40 |
| Wicklow | 0 | 3 | 26 |
| Total | 1 | 155 | 1,290 |
Minister Heydon explained that payments have not issued in respect of some of the remaining contracts as the legalities following death of the contract holder have not been finalised to date.
He said delays in other cases may be due to "non-receipt of documentation that is required for the calculation of the payment".
"I can assure the deputy that every effort is being made to process valid applications and clear payments to eligible participants as efficiently as possible," the minister added.
