Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 November 2023
280. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person’s entry into a scheme will be affected (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49181/23]
View answerBudget 2024 increased the allocation for ACRES by €40 million, bringing the total 2024 scheme allocation to €200 million - a substantial increase on the 2023 budget of €160 million. This provision of additional funding will enable delivery on the Government’s commitment to have 50,000 farmers participating in ACRES. An additional 4,000 farmers will be accepted into the second Tranche of the scheme.
The same three-step process that applied to the first Tranche will also apply to Tranche 2. This includes the submission of an Expression of Interest by farm advisors on behalf of their clients, the preparation and submission of a Farm Sustainability Plan and, finally, the formal submission of the ACRES application. Each of these steps must be completed for an application to be valid.
The person named, together with his approved ACRES advisor, can now commence the application process for Tranche 2. The Expression of Interest facility and the Department's online portal for the creation of Farm Sustainability Plans are now open to all eligible applicants. The final step, the opening of the ACRES System for the formal submission of the applications, will open in the coming weeks.
In the event of oversubscription, a ranking and selection process will be applied based on the extent of the environmental benefit to be delivered.
I would encourage the person named to get in contact with an approved ACRES advisor as soon as possible so that they can commence some of the associated preparatory work at the earliest opportunity
