Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES)

Information last updated by DAFM on April 2nd, 2025

All details are taken from the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine ‘Schemes & Payments’ section located here.

Please check this section for the latest information and updates relating to Farm Schemes & Payments.

What is the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme? 

ACRES is Ireland’s new agri-environment climate scheme under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan. This new €1.5 billion flagship agri-environment scheme is a farmer-friendly scheme to help address biodiversity decline while delivering an income support for up to 50,000 farm families in Ireland.

ACRES Updates

Department Update on payments to 07 April 2025 to participants in the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) and the scheduling of future payments to ACRES participants.

Overview of ACRES Tranche 2.

Advisors should visit ACRES advisors for information and guides.

The Difference Between ACRES General and ACRES Co-operation

General: available nationally (outside of the high priority geographical area defined for the ACRES Co-operation approach) and offers a range of actions for individual farmers, both targeted and general.

Co-operation: available to farmers in defined high priority geographical areas, and involves results-based payments as well as bespoke farm and landscape actions. Contracts have been awarded for the management of Co-operation Projects (CP), and farmers will be supported by new teams, who will develop local action plans for their zones.

The ACRES Co-operation Project (ACRES CP) uses a qualitative approach whereby all forage land included in the scheme will be assessed using results-based score cards with incentives in place to increase scores and improve the landscape being farmed. For more information, visit the farmers in ACRES CP page.

Contact Details for CP Teams.

Review of ACRES Commonage Scores – January 2025

The ‘Review of ACRES commonage scores – January 2025’ document outlines the way in which an ACRES participant may request a review of the scores assigned to the commonage which forms part of their ACRES contract. The document outlines the steps in the review process.

Review of ACRES Commonage Scores – January 2025

Commonage Scoring Review Request Form

Request to DAFM for Review of Commonage Scoring Review Decision

Rates of Payment

ACRES General offers a maximum of €7,311 a year. The level of payment a farmer may achieve will be determined by the payment rates for the actions selected and undertaken satisfactorily.

Co-operation offers a maximum of €10,500 a year with a maximum results-based payment of €7,000 with an extra non-productive investment and landscape maximum of €3,500. The level of payment will be determined by results-based scorecards, non-productive investments, and landscape actions, which will be designed for land-types and region.

Payments per measure

ACRES MeasureFarmer Payment (maximum)
General Measure€7,311
Cooperation Measure€10,500 (including €3,500 for NPIs and Landscape Actions)

ACRES General (General Actions)

Action (ACRES GeneralMargin widths€per metre/year€per ha/year€per unit/year€per m³/year
Barn owl nest box36.48 
Brassica fodder stubble120
Catch crops173.2
Conservation of rare breeds (per LU)1200
Environmental management of arable fallow1,047
Extensively grazed pasture250
Geese and swans205
Grass Margin arable3m0.38 
4m0.51
6m0.76
8m1.01
Grass margin grassland2m1
3m 1.1
6m1.37
Coppicing of Hedgerows 2.87
Laying of Hedgerow5.47
Low emissions slurry spreading1.20
Management of intensive grassland next to a watercourse502
Minimum tillage40
Planting a new hedgerow 5.29
Planting a traditional orchard27.49
Planting trees in Riparian buffer zones3.18
Tree Planting6.21
Protection and maintenance of archaeological monuments- arable 209
Protection and maintenance of archaeological monuments- grassland125
Over winter stubble86
Riparian buffer strip – arable3m0.38
4m0.51
6m0.77
8m 1.02
Riparian buffer strip – grassland 1.5m1.30
3m1.71
6m2.11
Riparian buffer zone – arable1,242
Riparian buffer zone – grassland1,530
Ryegrass seed set for birds1.37
Traditional dry stone wall maintenance0.76
Tree belts to capture ammonia from farmyards (0.18 – 0.5 ha) (Max €2514/yr)
Unharvested cereal headlands12m1.26
21m2.20
24m2.52
30m3.15
Winter bird food plot1,000
Winter bird food strip 6m0.98
8m1.31

Results-based actions (ACRES General)

Low Input Grassland 2 (ACRES General)

Field Score10987654<4
Payment rate per hectare€400€375€350 €325 €300€275€250 0

Low Input Peat Grassland 2

Field Score10987654<4 
Payment rate per hectare€400€375 €350 €325€300€275€2500

Results Based Actions (ACRES Co-operation)

Grassland, Peatland, Scrubland – Results-based payment

Field Score10987654<4 
Payment Rate€400 €350€300 €250 €205€175€150 €0
Reduced scale for farmers receiving OFS €150€100 €50€0€0€0€0€0

Commonage 3 (ACRES General and ACRES Co-operation)

Commonage (ACRES General and ACRES Co-op)

Field Score10987654<4
Payment Rate€220 €180€145€115€90€70€60€0
Commonage (<10ha) €120/h

1. Breeding females that produce a registered offspring above the basic eligibility requirements will be paid an additional payment of €75 per progeny registered up to overall maximum payment ceiling

2. Participants may apply for a late meadow bonus payment of €50/ha

3. Participation payment set at €50/ha on the first 20 hectares irrespective of results-based score. The results based payment rates are inclusive of this participation payment Commonage (<10ha) €120/ha

How to Apply

You apply for the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme as part of the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) application.

A farmer may submit their own application in conjunction with their BISS application, if they so wish, or they can employ a FAS approved advisor to do so on their behalf.

To apply online, login or register at www.agfood.ie

Contact

ACRES

Address: Johnstown Castle Estate, Wexford, Co. Wexford, Y35 PN52

Email: [email protected]

Telephone:+353 (0) 53 9163425

ACRES Co-Operation

Address:Johnstown Castle Estate. Co. Wexford, Y35 PN52

Email: [email protected]

Telephone:+353 (0) 53 9163425

For the full details on ACRES see the dedicated DAFM section available here.