Landscape Actions approval letters issuing to ACRES Co-operation Project farmers
- Foilsithe: 28 Eanáir 2026
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 28 Eanáir 2026
Farmers to begin work on approved largescale actions to benefit environmentally sensitive areas
Farmers in Ireland’s flagship agri-environment scheme will shortly begin work on large-scale actions to improve the landscape in some of Ireland’s most environmentally sensitive areas. This follows today’s announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, that Landscape Actions decision letters have begun issuing under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Making the announcement, the Minister said:
“Landscape Actions are important complementary environmental actions available under the ACRES Co-operation approach, designed to address, among other issues, invasive species management and encroaching scrub management in species rich grassland, threatened species and water quality protection. These actions help participants to improve the habitat quality of their land, which may in turn increase the score of that land, resulting in a higher payment.
Minister Heydon continued:
“I was encouraged by the level of response to the first application window for Landscape Actions, which was open from mid-July 2025 to the end of September 2025, and I am pleased that farmers whose applications for Landscape Actions have been approved will now be able to start undertaking those actions. The direct engagement of the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Teams with the scheme participants in the eight ACRES Co-operation areas has helped those farmers to understand the way in which these Landscape Actions can help them, both individually and collectively.”
Referring to their environmental ambition, Minister Heydon commented:
“As Landscape Actions will be carried out in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the country, an extensive environmental screening process was undertaken following the closing date for the applications. Farmers can now begin making these important approved interventions, which will have significant positive impacts on the environment.”
Concluding the announcement, the Minister added:
“Decision letters will be available on farmers’ MyAgFood accounts in the first instance, with a letter following in the post shortly thereafter. Participants will also be getting a Landscape Approval summary from my Department and a Landscape Action Site-Specific Plan from their ACRES CP Team in the coming days. The participants will then have all the necessary information available to them to start implementing the actions as and where approved.”
Notes for 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.
- ACRES is co-funded by the National Exchequer and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Union under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.
- 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. Participants in the ACRES Co-operation approach may apply for complementary environmental actions in the form of Non-Productive Investments and Landscape Actions.
Landscape Actions in ACRES Co-operation approach
- Landscape Actions are targeted measures that will focus on issues such as invasive species management, encroaching scrub, threatened species and water quality protection, thereby offering benefits to the local environment.
- These Landscape Actions have been designed to target environmental issues, which have been highlighted in the scorecards for results-based payments and are causing a reduction in the score achieved.
- The targeted implementation of these actions should improve the results-based score achieved on that field/commonage in coming years leading to an increased payment.
- A list of the Landscape Actions may be found in the Landscape Specification document on the Department’s website, the link to which is provided below.
Application window
- The first application window for Landscape Actions was from 18 July 2025 to 30 September 2025.
- The second application window is expected to open in the first quarter of 2026.
Application Process
- ACRES Co-operation participants can apply for Landscape Actions through their ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team.
- The CP Team may create and submit a Landscape Action Annual Works Plan (LA-AWP) for the ACRES Co-operation participant through the Generic Land Management (GLAM) mapping system maintained by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM).
- The proposed Landscape Actions are then screened by the CP Team before a decision letter may be issued by the Department. Authorisation for approved actions takes effect from the date of issue of the LA-AWP Approval letter.
- No actions should be undertaken until receipt of the Department’s decision letter. The approved action(s) must then be undertaken in accordance with the ‘ACRES Co-operation Landscape Action Specification’, as published on the Department’s website at Landscape Actions Final Specifications January 2026