The Department of Agriculture’s Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) division has issued a reminder to ACRES-approved advisers urging them to complete scorecards before the deadline of 31 August 2026.
The Department correspondence stated that just under 54% of scorecards have been submitted to date.
It adds that scorecards are being submitted on an ongoing basis and cautioned that any outstanding scorecards remaining after 31 August may affect the issuing of 2026 ACRES advance payments.
This is as scorecards are used to determine results-based payments.
Health and safety
The correspondence includes advice for advisers, with one aspect relating to lands not being scored due to health and safety concerns.
It states that “in cases where it is not possible for health and safety reasons to access a parcel for scoring (for example, in the case of Islands with no ferry service), details of these cases can be emailed to the Department at the relevant email address below with the subject line clearly stating ‘Access issues due to Health and Safety Reasons’.
The following details are required:
“Where the Department is notified of these cases before the submission of scorecards deadline and is satisfied that the field(s) are inaccessible for health and safety reasons, no penalty will be applied for the non-submission of these scorecards.
"However, where no scorecard is submitted for a parcel, this parcel will be ineligible for a results-based payment in ACRES.”
Change of control
The ACRES circular also provides advice where there is a change in the name of the farmer on the ACRES contract or legal status. “Please note that any change in the name of the farmer or legal status which transfers control of the holding to which the ACRES contract relates to a new entity requires prior approval from the ACRES section of the Department for the transfer of the contract.”
Farmers are advised to check the Department's website for the form.
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