Public Consultation on the Natura Impact Report in support of the Appropriate Assessment (AA) for Landscape Actions (LAs) to be made available under the Co-operation approach of the Agri-climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES)

This public consultation notice is published on 15th July 2025

The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is Ireland’s flagship agri-environment scheme funded under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023 – 2027. There are two approaches within the Scheme – an ACRES General approach and an ACRES Co-operation approach. This public consultation relates to the Landscape Actions element within the ACRES Co-operation approach. More information on ACRES may be found here Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES)

Landscape Actions (LAs) are large scale complementary environmental actions that may be chosen by participants of the ACRES Co-operation approach only. The LAs are targeted restoration measures that will focus on issues such as invasive species management, encroaching scrub, priority species/habitats and water quality protection, thereby offering benefits to the local environment. The LAs have been designed to target environmental priorities at landscape level, which have been highlighted in the local action plans and threats and pressures identified through the ACRES scorecards for results-based payments. The targeted implementation of these landscape actions should improve the quality of habitats in the ACRES Co-operation zones and therefore improve the results-based score achieved on that field/commonage in coming years leading to an increased payment. A draft list of LAs and associated draft specifications are available at Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES)

The underlying principle of actions chosen under ACRES is the “right measure in the right place”. Landscape Actions aim to address an environmental issue at scale across farms or a whole landscape. It is envisaged that these actions will be delivered in a coordinated fashion, addressing landscape level priorities. The ACRES Co-operation Project Teams will play a key role in the efficient and effective targeting of Landscape Actions at landscape level in their respective ACRES Co-operation zones to address biodiversity restoration and water quality improvement.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine is required to inform the public that any person may make a submission or observation in writing concerning this Appropriate Assessment (AA) within 30 days of the date of the notice – the closing date is 15th August 2025

Submissions must be received by 16.00 hours (4pm) on the closing date. Submissions will be considered valid if received by post or delivered to the address below on the closing date or where submitted by email, if email shows that it was sent before 16.00 hours on the closing date. It is important that electronic submissions are emailed to the correct address, as indicated below. Submissions sent to other email addresses cannot be accepted as valid.

Valid submissions will be acknowledged after the closing date. If you feel you have made a valid submission and have not received an acknowledgement within five working days of the closing date, please contact below.

Submit your views/submission by:

Post to:

The submission or observation may be on the likely effect on the environment of the proposals contained in the AA. The submission must include a name or names, postal address and phone number or email.

Terms and conditions

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (‘the Department’) is collecting this data to inform the Appropriate Assessment of the proposed Landscape Actions to be made available under the Co-operation approach of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme. All submissions, including the name of the person or organisation making the submission, will be shared with the Department’s external consultant who is conducting the Appropriate Assessment on the Department’s behalf. All submissions, including the name of the person or organisation making the submission, may be published on the Department’s website. However, if you wish to make a submission but not be identified publicly this can be accommodated provided it is clearly indicated when the submission is made. When making a submission please indicate if you agree, or not, to your name being published on the Department’s website. Should you wish to later withdraw this given consent then please email us at: acreslaaa@agriculture.gov.ie

Freedom of Information

All submissions and comments submitted to the Department for this purpose are subject to release under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 and the European Communities (Access to Information on the Environment) Regulations 2007- 2014. Submissions are also subject to Data Protection legislation. Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission, and it will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act 2014.

Data Protection

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (‘the Department’) is collecting this data to inform the Appropriate Assessment of the proposed Landscape Actions to be made available under the Co-operation approach of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme. All submissions, including the name of the person or organisation making the submission, will be shared with the external consultant who is conducting the Appropriate Assessment on the Department’s behalf. This data will be processed in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR EU 2016/679), the Data Protection Acts 1988-2018 the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and the DPER Consultation Principles and Guidance. Any additional personal data received will not be processed, shared, or retained and will be destroyed upon receipt. Further information on Data Protection can be found on the Department’s website at https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/organisation-information/data-protection/

Privacy Statement

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (‘the Department’) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and employs appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information from unauthorised access. The Department will not process your personal data for any purpose other than that for which they were collected. Personal data may be exchanged with other Government Departments, local authorities, agencies under the aegis of the Department, or other public bodies, in certain circumstances where this is provided for by law.

The Department will only retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which they were collected and subsequently processed. When the business need to retain this information has expired, it will be examined with a view to destroying the personal data as soon as possible, and in line with Department policy.