The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has received over 91,000 scorecards for the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

The scorecards outline the environmental condition of land parcels under the agri-environmental scheme.

As ACRES is a results-based scheme, higher scores result in greater payments for farmers and improved environmental outcomes.

125,000 scorecards were issued by the department to ACRES advisers at the beginning of June of which 91,496 were returned by August 15.

The deadline for the submission of ACRES scorecards to the department falls on August 31, 2025.

DAFM previously said that scorecards must be submitted by the deadline in order to allow advance payments to be made in November.

The latest data published by the department shows that a total of almost €516 million had been paid out to ACRES participants by August 15.

Balancing payments, in respect of participation in the scheme in 2023, were made on August 15 to 17 farmers with those payments amounting to €20,231.

This brought the total paid in respect of participation in ACRES in 2023 to €248.8 million, paid to 44,423 participants, or over 99% of all ACRES tranche 1 participants.

A total of 217 farmers have yet to receive their final payments for 2023. Of these, 20 have already received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000.

Advance payments, for scheme participation in 2024, were made to 52 farmers, with those payments amounting to €237,934.

This payment run brought total 2024 advance payments to almost €227.3 million, paid to 52,884 farmers, or 98% of all ACRES participants.

Advance payments in respect of scheme participation in 2024 have still to be made to 1,030 ACRES participants across tranches 1 and 2.

Of these 1,030 farmers, 217 are also awaiting their balancing payment in respect of 2023, as that must be paid before the 2024 advance payment may be made to them.

The most recent round of balancing payments in respect of participation in the scheme in 2024 paid €154,308 to a further 189 farmers.

This brought the total paid in balancing payments in respect of 2024 to almost €39.2 million, to 51,962 participants.

According to DAFM, this means that over 96% of all participants are up to date with ACRES payments.

The department said that payments will continue on a weekly basis as cases are cleared.

Farmers and advisors are again being encouraged to submit any outstandingdocumentation that will allow the department to progress and complete their claims.

Meanwhile, the application window for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) under the agri-environmental scheme remains open.

DAFM said that so far 112 claims have been submitted for 2023 while 27 have been submitted for 2024.

The application window for Landscape Actions also remains open.