Call for immediate interim ACRES payment to be made to farmers
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said that an interim payment is now needed for farmers in the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Following a meeting of the Farmers' Charter of Rights committee, IFA Connacht chair Brendan Golden said Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon "has to sort out the ACRES mess".
“IFA is calling for an urgent interim payment from national funds, similar to last year. Unlike his predecessor, the minister is refusing to do this.
"He is backing his own officials in Johnstown Castle to get it sorted, but they have not delivered on ACRES to date,” Golden said.
“While ACRES is an overly complex scheme, it is clear that there is a systemic problem or under resourcing in some of the DAFM divisions that operate in Johnstown Castle.
"Either way, the best outcome for farmers is to make an interim payment from national funds now,” he added.
Golden said that the minister's "key officials" were given a clear message at an IFA meeting in Athlone last week "when farmers spoke from the floor about their frustration and anger about payment delays".
"Despite apologies on the night from the officials, farmer after farmer laid it on the line that they have not been paid and are even having difficulty getting through to Johnstown Castle on the phone,” he said.
"It’s one thing saying progress has been made in the last few weeks, but we have heard this before.
"There are 10,000-plus farm families still waiting on payments, and close on one-in-four waiting even longer for their 2023 payment.
"These are families who would have factored in this money to their business," the IFA Connacht chair said.
During the meeting senior DAFM officials committed that over 750 farmers awaiting balancing 2023 payments will be paid this week; that payment runs will happen at least fortnightly; and that the vast majority of all outstanding payments will be cleared and paid by end-May.
"These commitments need to be delivered upon, and the minister needs to up the ante to ensure it happens.
“I accept some farmers need to get low emission slurry spreading (LESS) statements in by the end of this week; some need to get their mandatory education complete and Rare Breed certifications returned for cases to progress, but for the vast majority of those unpaid, the ball is in the department’s court to get cases cleared and payments out,” Golden said.
