The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has reiterated that the "most complex" payment cases under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) will be dealt with this month.

This is according to the latest update from the department which shows that a total of almost €494.8 million has been paid to ACRES participants as of Monday (June 9).

Just under €246.3 million is in respect of participation in the Scheme in 2024, whilealmost €248.5 million relates to participation in 2023.

ACRES is the €1.5 billion flagship agri-environmental scheme provided under Ireland’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

However, the scheme has been the subject of intense criticism due to the delay in payments being issued to farmers.

Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Martin Heydon has previously expressed his frustration around the delays.

According to DAFM, balancing payments in respect of participation in the ACRES scheme in 2024 commenced on May 15, 2025.

The most recent payment run of June 6 paid €278,732 to a further 603 participants.

This brought the total paid in balancing payments in respect of 2024 to almost €34.6 million, to 45,715 farmers.

The department said that this means that almost 85% of all participants are up to date with payments.

Advance payments, in respect of participation in the scheme in 2024, were made on June 9 to 37 farmers, with those payments amounting to €151,671.66.

This payment run brought total 2024 Advance payments to almost €211.8 million, paid to49,350 farmers, or over 91% of all ACRES participants.

However, DAFM acknowledged that advance payments in respect of scheme participation in 2024 have still to be made to 4,680 ACRES participants across tranches 1 and 2.

Of these 4,680 participants, 837 are also awaiting their balancing payment in respect of2023, as that must be paid before the 2024 advance payment may be made to them.

DAFM added that advance payments for 2024 will continue to be made on a weekly basis.

In relation to participation in ACRES in 2023, balancing payments were made to 112 farmers on June 9 totalling €91,130/

This brought the total paid in respect of participation in ACRES in 2023 to just under €248.5 million, paid to 43,955 participants, or over 98% of participants.

A total of 837 farmers have yet to receive their final payments for 2023.

Of these, 600 have already received an interim payment of either €4,000 or €5,000, respectively.

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

DAFM said that it is continuing to progress the contracts awaiting final payment in respect of 2023 and/or advance payment in respect of 2024, "with the most complex cases to be finalised in June 2025 at the latest".

Balancing payments in respect of participation in ACRES in 2024 have now commenced, the department added.

According to DAFM, the issues which are impacting on the making of payments in respect of each year are primarily:

Contract and ownership / partnership issues;
Issues with scorecards (incorrect score, scorecards not submitted, alignment of scorecards with data from the Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS);
Alignment of ACRES data with 2024 BISS information.

"The department is actively resolving the remaining issues through, for example, the development of the required IT functionality and the investigation of issues associated with specific contracts.

"The non-submission to date by participants, or by their ACRES advisors on their behalf, of certain returns also impacted on the making of advance payments to them in respect of 2024," the department said.