Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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233. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when approvals will issue for those in ACRES co-operation who applied for non-productive investments in 2023; when payments under this will issue to participants; if he will give flexibility to pay farmers allocated CAP funding beyond the CAP programme; if payments for non-productive investments can be made for five years from when his Department first issued non-productive investments approvals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24521/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2023, almost 4,300 farmers in the Co-operation Project (CP) stream of ACRES applied for 43,910 Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) as part of their participation in the scheme. This reflects the huge interest farmers continually demonstrate in supporting the habitats and species found on their farms. NPIs - using the right action in the right place - can contribute to the maintenance of nature in Ireland’s diverse landscape, increase the field scores achieved in ACRES, and, in turn, increase payments to farmers under the scheme.

NPIs submitted to my Department during the application process are currently being screened by the ACRES Co-operation Project Teams under Appropriate Assessment regulations. The screening will consider the potential impact that any action may have on the surrounding landscape and environment. Any NPIs that are determined to have a detrimental impact on the countryside will be given an adverse screening decision and will not be approved by my Department.

The second step in the process will be for my Department to consider the whole application for NPIs, including the screening decisions, in respect of each applicant. The final decision will be communicated in writing to participants in the second half of this year. On approval, farmers may then commence any actions they choose, in accordance with NPI specifications, which are available on my Department’s website. Any actions carried out without approval, or before approval is received, will be at the farmer’s own expense and no payment will be made for these actions. Details on claiming payment for NPIs will be published later this year.

Further application windows to apply for NPIs will be opened in due course.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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234. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that repayments are arranged on a case-by-case basis and not taken out from the balancing payment given his Department was unable to pay ACRES participants as planned, and interim payments were issued which may in part need to be re-couped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24522/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Payments for the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) General stream commenced in December last, and by the end of February, the majority of participants had received payment.

On 9th February 2024 I announced that an interim payment would be made to support those Tranche 1 participants who had not yet received their advance payment in respect of 2023. I made a further announcement on 15th February 2024 outlining the amounts to be paid, with ACRES General participants to receive an interim payment of €4,000 and ACRES Co-operation participants to receive an interim payment of €5,000.

My Department wrote to all participants receiving an interim payment on the 29th February 2024 to advise that the final ACRES Year 1 payments will be based on the ACRES actions approved in their contract and, where results-based actions are included, the scores assigned by their advisor. It was also advised that if the ACRES payment calculation amounts to less than the interim payment, the difference/shortfall will be shown on the participant's Department account as a debt and will be offset against future payments. Should this situation arise, the Department will write to the participant at that time notifying them of the debt and its amount and will outline repayment options available to them. I expect that these payments will commence in June.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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235. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the date on which balancing payments will issue for ACRES participants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24523/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Work is continuing on the calculation and processing of ACRES year one payments, and these payments are expected to commence in early June.

ACRES General advance payments commenced on December 15^th 2023, and approximately 19,719 farmers were paid a total of €88.356 million by early February 2024.

Due in particular to the additional complexity associated with payments to Co-operation Project (CP) participants, my Department made arrangements for an interim, nationally-funded, payment to be made to all the remaining applicants who had not yet received an ACRES advance payment. The first payment run of €4,000 for ACRES General participants and €5,000 for ACRES CP participants was paid on February 28th 2024, amounting to €113,617,000. A second payment run totalling €5,923,000 was processed in March.

A total of 44,780 participants have now received payments totalling €207.8 million.