The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that over 1,200 farmers are still due their 2024 advance payment under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

A total of €514.3 million had been paid to yesterday (Monday, July 28) to participants of the agri-environmental scheme.

Of that total, €265.3 million is in respect of participation in the scheme in 2024, while €248.8 million relates to participation in 2023.

On Friday (July 25), balancing payments for participation in the scheme in 2023, were made to 71 farmers, with those payments amounting to €116,055.

Over 99% of all ACRES tranche 1 participants (44,394 farmers) have now been paid for taking part in the scheme in 2023.

DAFM confirmed that 246 farmers have yet to receive their final payments for 2023.

Of these, 38 have already received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000.

The department noted that in many instances, this will cover the entire amount of the payment due.

Advance payments, in respect of participation in ACRES in 2024, were made on July 25 to 98 participants, with those payments amounting to €415,511.

DAFM said this payment run brought total 2024 advance payments to almost €226.5 million, paid to 52,692 farmers, or almost 98% of all ACRES participants.

Advance payments in respect of scheme participation in 2024 have still to be made to 1,222 ACRES participants across tranches 1 and 2.

Of these 1,222 participants, 246 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 department said that ACRES payments will continue to be made weekly to ensure timely payments to the remaining participants once their contracts are cleared for payment.

Balancing payments in respect of participation in the scheme in 2024 commenced on May 15.

The most recent payment run of July 25 paid €67,913 to a further 102 participants.

"This means that over 95% of all participants are up to date with payments," DAFM said.

Meanwhile, 57,603 of the 125,000 scorecards issued for ACRES at the start of June have been submitted to the department.

Scorecards must be submitted by August 31 to allow advance payments to be made in November.

The claims system for the submission of claims in respect of the implementation of Non-Productive Investments (NPIs), which were approved in December 2024 and April 2025, is also now open.

The department added that Landscape Actions (LAs) are now open for applications from ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) teams.

The LAs are large-scale environmental actions focusing on issues such as threatened species, water quality protection, invasive species management and encroaching scrub management in species-rich grassland.