A total of over €517.1 million has been paid to date to Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) participants.

Almost €267.6 million is in respect of participation in the scheme in 2024, while over €249.5 million relates to participation in 2023, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said in an update.

Processing of payments continues on a weekly basis across all scheme years and tranches, the department said.

Delay in issue of payments

The department said the issues which have impacted on the making of payments in respect of each year are primarily:

Contract and ownership / partnership issues;
Issues with scorecards (incorrect score, scorecards not submitted, alignment of scorecards with data from the Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS);
Alignment of ACRES data with 2024 BISS information.

"The department is actively resolving the remaining issues through, for example, the development of the required IT functionality and the investigation of issues associated with specific contracts," DAFM said.

"The non-submission to date by participants, or by their ACRES advisors on their behalf, of certain returns also impacted on the making of advance payments to them in respect of 2024.

"Farmers and advisors are encouraged to submit, as soon as possible, any outstanding documentation that will allow the department to progress and complete their claims as soon as possible."

Over 93% of the ACRES scorecards issued for the 2025 scoring season have beensubmitted to date, the department said.

The deadline for their submission was August 31, 2025 to facilitate themaking of advance payments in November 2025.

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

NPIs

Applications may now be submitted, by ACRES advisors on behalf of participants in the ACRES Co-operation approach, for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs).

The deadline for submission of applications in this third NPI application window is October 17.

Claims may now be submitted in respect of the implementation of NPIs approved following the first two NPIs application windows, with 661 claims submitted to date.