Minister Heydon announces the commencement of €1.4 million in payments for Non-Productive Investments under ACRES
- Published on: 12 November 2025
- Last updated on: 17 November 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has today announced the commencement of payments for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) implemented by participants in the Co-operation approach of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Making the announcement, the Minister said:
“This is one of the new more ambitious elements of ACRES where participants are being paid to directly address on farm environmental issues and funding is available to support tailored actions undertaken by farmers. The environmental benefits of these investments should allow participants to increase their payments through an increase in their results based payments. Over €1.4 million is being paid to 588 farmers in this NPI pay run. The other NPI claims received are being progressed. While some 1,200 claims have been submitted to date, I encourage all ACRES Co-operation participants who have implemented NPIs to submit their claims as soon as possible. Farmers can submit claims themselves and there is a video on my department’s website to help them with that or the claim may be submitted by their ACRES advisor."
Highlighting the value of NPIs, the Minister added:
“I want to again encourage farmers in the ACRES Co-operation zones to engage with their ACRES advisors and their local ACRES Co-operation Project Team, in advance of the next NPI application opportunity, to look at the range of NPIs available to them and assess the potential for enhancing their land and increasing scores.”
Notes
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, with an ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team in place in each of the 8 ACRES Co-operation zones to assist the participants
Non-Productive Investments in ACRES Co-operation approach
Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) are actions that are available to participants in the Co-operation approach of ACRES to address environmental issues on the farm, directly contribute to environmental objectives or increase the farmers capacity to improve field scores through management.
The list of NPIs, and associated Specifications, is available on the department’s website at Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
A specific NPI application window opens each year at which time applications, in the form of NPI Annual Work plans, are prepared and submitted by ACRES advisors on behalf of their clients. The applications submitted are then referred to the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team in the relevant ACRES Co-operation zone for environmental screening, with the outcome of that screening returned to the department. Following certain validations of the applications by the department, decision letters are issued, with a detailed NPI approval summary also subsequently sent to the participant to assist in the implementation of the approved NPIs. Participants may not implement any action/investment until such time as they have received approval. The approval letter also states deadline by which the NPIs may be implemented and claimed.
The NPI claims system (for the submission of claims in respect of the implementation of NPIs approved in December 2024 and April 2025) was opened in July 2025. A video of an information webinar on the making of NPI claims is available on the department’s website. Just under 2,000 claims have been received to date in respect of NPIs approved in respect of both years. The payment of €1,422,643.12 to 588 ACRES Co-operation participants relates to those approved following the first NPI application window and since implemented. The next NPI pay run will relate to those approved following the second NPI application window (in 2024) and implemented.