
A €1.5 billion agri-environment scheme was unveiled yesterday.
A €1.5 billion agri-environment scheme has been met with criticism from farmers.
Applicants can avail of a €10,000 euro grant from the ACRES funding, which is set to benefit 50,000 farm families around the country and encourage farmers to improve biodiversity.
However, it will be subject to the approval of Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan from the EU Commission.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie Mc Conalogue hopes it can begin next January:
A pleasure to launch the new flagship scheme ACRES with Taoiseach @MichealMartinTD, @McConalogue & @martinheydonfg. After much engagement across government & stakeholders, it’s great to see such an ambitious agri-environment scheme. Read more here: https://t.co/UocZbsSPCU #ACRES pic.twitter.com/jLkjVJDMmY
— Pippa Hackett (@pippa_hackett) June 21, 2022
But the Irish Farmers' Association has branded it "a bureaucratic nightmare".
IFA President, Toomevara's Tim Cullinan is concerned about the criteria farmers will have to meet before seeing any money: