Momentum in ACRES has been lost for both farmers and local teams administering the scheme due to ongoing delays, a meeting in Co Clare has heard.

At a public meeting organised by the Burren ACRES co-operation team in Lisdoonvarna on Tuesday, Clare Burren regional manager Neal Jeuken said the team is doing its best for farmers under the current circumstances.

“It has been quite difficult. Morale is somewhat low. From our point of view and I think from your point of view as well, momentum of the scheme has really been lost. The turnaround and the feedback aren’t really there.

“It is faltering in many aspects, but we can only do the best we can, speaking for ourselves. We can do the best we can and that’s what we’re trying to do within the framework we’re in,” he said at the meeting, which was one of four held in the area.

NPI approvals

Responding to a question from the floor, the regional manager said all non-productive investments (NPIs) in the Burren ACRES area were sent by the team to the Department of Agriculture at the end of March 2024, with these yet to be approved by the Department.

“We would have gotten these actions in last November or December. We screened them. We had them all ready by Easter, because we knew farmers had applied for bracken control, for example. That needed to be commenced in May to be eligible,” he said.

Jeuken added that the Department has not shared with the team how they calculate payments or the rate of payment to farmers in their area.