A number of important announcements were communicated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine this week in relation to payments under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the National Sheep Welfare Scheme.
On November 10, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD announced that advance payments of €146.94 million to Tranche 1 participants in ACRES had commenced. These payments are being paid to 33,794 farmers who entered ACRES in 2023.
“I anticipate that a further 8,000 farmers who joined ACRES in 2024 will receive €32.69 million next week. The issuing of 2025 advance payments to 42,000 farmers, or 78% of all ACRES participants, in these first pay runs is evidence of the work done over the last year to improve the timeliness of ACRES payments. The processing of contracts for the remaining participants is continuing,” Minister Heydon said.
For more on ACRES payments, visit the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website.
ACRES NPIS
Additionally, on November 12, Minister Heydon payments for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) implemented by participants in the Co-operation approach of ACRES had commenced.
Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) are actions that are available to participants in the Co-operation approach of ACRES to address environmental issues on the farm, directly contribute to environmental objectives or increase the farmers capacity to improve field scores through management
“Over €1.4 million is being paid to 588 farmers in this NPI pay run. The other NPI claims received are being progressed. While some 1,200 claims have been submitted to date, I encourage all ACRES Co-operation participants who have implemented NPIs to submit their claims as soon as possible,” Minister Heydon said.
For more on ACRES NPIs, visit the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine website.
National Sheep Welfare Scheme
On the same day, Minister Heydon announced that €16.44 million in payments under the 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme started issuing to farmers.
Issuing to 13,175 participants in the scheme, Minister Heydon said: “This represents just over 90% of farmers who chose the completion date of 17 October 2025 for their chosen actions. A further pay run will occur in mid-December 2025 for those farmers who chose the later completion date of 28 November 2025 for their actions.”
However, payment rates for this scheme have been adjusted downwards on account of an oversubscription in the scheme, where 17,278 applications covering just over 1.91 million ewes were received, with Minister Heydon adding: “it was necessary to adjust the payment rate to €11.50 per ewe which is still a 44% increase from the €8 per ewe paid under the scheme in 2024,” and when combined with the €12 per ewe available under the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) Sheep Improvement Scheme, sheep farmers participating in both schemes will receive up to €23.50 per ewe.
National Farm Safety Measure
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Farm Safety, Michael Healy-Rae TD recently announced that the deadline to submit expressions of interest and applications for payment under the National Farm Safety Measure had been extended to Friday, November 2025.
“I urge all farmers to use this time to check the condition of PTO shaft covers on farm machinery and, where damaged or missing, to replace them and submit their claims before the extended closing date,” Minister Healy-Rae said.
To apply for the measure, a farmer or FAS approved advisor must submit an expression of interest before purchasing power take-off (PTO) shaft covers. Once an expression of interest has been submitted, the application for payment (claim) must be submitted no later than Friday, 21 November 2025.
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