Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
27. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if flexibility will be offered to advisers responsible for scoring land under the ACRES scheme, considering the 12-day delay in the scoring app being launched and ongoing reports of advisers being under significant pressure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34614/23]
View answerThe Agri-Climate Environment Scheme (ACRES) is Ireland’s flagship agri-environment scheme under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027. It will pay farmers €1.5 billion over its lifetime, which is the largest sum ever committed to an agri-environment scheme in Ireland. I am pleased to have approved entry to the scheme to over 46,000 farmers earlier this year. A key feature of ACRES is the introduction of a results-based system that rewards farmers for committed environmental effort by linking payments to the quality of environmental outcomes delivered.
Participants in the ACRES eight Cooperation Project (CP) Zones will receive results-based payments, whereas those in the ACRES General stream could have chosen results-based actions on application. All these lands will be scored over the summer months, by approved ACRES advisors, who have completed the mandatory in-field scorecard training.
Scoring of land at the correct time of the year is an integral part of the results-based payment model and ensures the correct payment rate is assigned to the land in question. It is essential that all lands are scored by 31 August, which is the best period for scoring, capturing all the indicator species. In addition to this, the submission of completed scorecards in this timeframe facilitates the commencement of payments later this year.
In addition, farmers participating in ACRES (CP) will gain a better understanding of the environmental assets found on their land, once scoring takes place during the summer months. This information will be of assistance to them, when it comes to considering any Non-productive Investments (NPIs) that might be employed. The choice of the appropriate NPI can assist with increasing the score achieved and therefore a higher payment in future years. The application system for NPIs is planned to open later this year.
It is also important to acknowledge that farmers can use any approved ACRES advisor to submit these scorecards and in this regard, my Department has outlined a procedure for transfer of any ACRES contract from one approved ACRES advisor to another.
To also facilitate the streamlining of submission of scorecards my Department has developed a phone app (AgriSnap) and scorecards are being submitted daily by advisors to my Department using the app.. The enhanced phone app catering for scorecards was released on 9 June.
