Cork farmers receive financial boost through ACRES payments 

MANY farmers in Cork received a welcome pre-Christmas financial boost with the issuing of payments under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).

Totals payments of more than €76 million has been paid out to participants across the State under the scheme to assist farmers in enhancing biodiversity, climate, air, and water quality on their farms. However, payments for the agri-environment climate measure have been given to less than half of the total participants in the scheme.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue recently announced that upwards of 18,000 farmers participating in ACRES Co-Operation will not be paid until February 2024 at the earliest.

Cork South West Deputy Christopher O’Sullivan said in a statement to The Echo,  more than 46,000 farmers signed up for the first tranche of ACRES "proving that farmers are taking their environmental responsibilities seriously".

“I very much welcome the fact that payments have begun to issue to many of these farmers - however, there are many farmers who are involved in the co-operation areas on some of our peninsulas who are still having to wait for payments. It is my understanding that many may have to wait until February," said Mr O'Sullivan.

“I will be urging the Department of Agriculture to try and perhaps issue some of the payments or even a portion of it, as some of these farmers desperately need this funding to get through the winter months”.

Cork South West TD and leader of the Social Democrats Holly Cairns raised this issue in the Dáil, saying, there had been significant buy-in from farmers for the ACRES scheme and that it was "great to see such engagement with environmental schemes.” 

However, she criticised the fact that the payments, due in November, were only rolled out the week before Christmas.

"Some farmers will not receive payments under the ACRES co-operation scheme until late February. That will put them under significant financial pressure through the Christmas period," said Ms Cairns.

Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, explained that they expected 30,000 farmers to apply but received 46,000 applications, all of which were accepted, meaning “there was significant pressure on the advisers to administer the scheme".

“We were working on the basis of trying to move heaven and earth to see if we could get both the co-operation and general scheme paid by the end of this year. As the co-operation scheme is more complicated in terms of system development, it will be early February before those in that scheme will begin receiving payments,” he said.

“I have done everything I can to try to get the payments made.” 

Ms Cairns in turn pointed out farmers have spent significant amounts of money to introduce environmental measures on the assumption that they would receive payments in November to cover those costs. 

"Given the delays, they are unable to pay their bills and interest can then accrue," she said.