The Department of Agriculture has decided that all valid applications for the new Agriclimate Rural Environment Scheme(ACRES) will be accepted. 46,000 applications were received and the Department had only budgeted for 30,000.
Tipperary TD, Jackie Cahill, has welcomed the Minister’s decision to fund all valid applications. Deputy Cahill describes the scheme as a farmer-friendly scheme to help address biodiversity decline while delivering an income support for up to 50,000 farm families in Ireland.
The new scheme will see farmers earn average payments of up to €7,000 per annum for undertaking actions to support biodiversity and reduce emissions. Farmers are now expected to draw down a combined €266.6m in payments this year, and €1.33bn over the scheme’s five-year duration.. Forty per cent of all farmers applied with significant numbers in counties Kerry, Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Cork and Clare entering through this stream. The scheme is expected to deliver a €160M boost for farmers in the west of Ireland.
