Minister Heydon announces issue of decisions on ACRES Landscape Actions applications
- Published on: 21 May 2026
- Last updated on: 21 May 2026
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, today announced that decision letters have started to issue in respect of applications submitted earlier this year for Landscape Actions available under the Co-operation approach of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Making the announcement, the Minister said:
“Landscape Actions are voluntary environmental actions in respect of which farmers in the ACRES Co-operation may apply for funding towards their implementation. If their application is approved, the implementation of those actions should enhance the environmental status of their holding and, in turn, lead to an increase in their results-based payments under ACRES. The second application window for the submission of Landscape Action applications opened on 11 February 2026 and will not close until 28 May 2026. The decision letters being issued this week are, however, in respect of a batch of the applications submitted since February 2026 where there is a specific timeframe in which the action should be undertaken. The issue of the decisions for these time-sensitive actions is to enable the participants to undertake the relevant action at the earliest opportunity within the ideal time frame. All applications for Landscape Actions have to undergo environmental screening so it is envisaged that decision letters will issue in the third quarter of this year in respect of the remaining applications submitted to date plus those that may be submitted up to 28 May 2026.”
Minister Heydon continued:
"This phased issue of decisions on Landscape Actions applications will help maintain momentum in their implementation so that benefits can be derived as soon as possible. While the current Landscape Action application window will close on 28 May 2026, it is proposed that another application window for Landscape Actions will open later this year. I therefore again encourage farmers who are participating in the Co-operation approach of ACRES to engage with their local ACRES Co-operation Project Team to identify the opportunities available to them in the form of Landscape Actions appropriate to their lands.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the Agri-environment climate measure under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
- The Scheme is jointly funded by the European Union and the national exchequer.
- There are two approaches within the Scheme:
- ACRES General, available nationally (outside of the high priority geographical area as defined for the ACRES Co-operation approach below), which offers a range of measures (both prescription and result-based); and
- ACRES Co-operation, available to farmers in defined high priority geographical areas. Map in Annex 1 of the ACRES Terms and Conditions for both Tranches shows the 8 ACRES Co-operation zones, with an ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team in place in each zone to assist the participants.
Landscape Actions in ACRES Co-operation approach
- Landscape Actions (‘LAs’) are voluntary complementary environmental actions designed to target environmental issues such as invasive species management, encroaching scrub, threatened species and water quality.
- These types of issues have been noted during the assessment of lands of ACRES Co-operation participants for the completion of scorecards for results-based payments under the Scheme, with their presence causing a reduction in the score achieved.
- The targeted implementation of these Landscape actions should improve the results-based score achieved on that field/commonage in coming years leading to an increased payment and also benefit the local landscape and environment.
- Specifications for the implementation of approved Landscape Actions are available on the Department’s website at ACRES Landscape Actions Specifications May 2026
LA Application windows
- The first application window for Landscape Actions was open from 18 July 2025 to 30 September 2025, with the decisions, on the applications received, issued on 28 January 2026.
- The second application window opened on 11 February 2026, with the closing date for submission of applications being 28 May 2026.
- The third application window is expected to open in the third quarter of 2026.
LA Application Process and notification of decisions on applications
- Participants in the ACRES Co-operation approach may apply for LAs through their local ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team.
- The CP Team then creates and submits a Landscape Action Annual Works Plan (LA-AWP) for the participant through the Generic Land Management (GLAM) mapping system maintained by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine.
- Environmental screening of the applications is then undertaken by the CP Team with the outcome of that screening provided to the Department. Decision letters are issued by the Department following a validation process.
- LAs must not be undertaken in advance of receiving the decision letter as authorisation for the implementation of approved actions is from the date of issue of the LA-AWP Approval letter.
- Decision letters are available on the participant’s MyAgFood accounts in the first instance, with a hard copy of the letter following in the post shortly thereafter. Participants also get a Landscape Approval summary from the Department and a Landscape Action Site-Specific Plan from their ACRES CP Team. The participants then have all the necessary information available to them to start implementing the actions as and where approved.