The ACRES program is a novel agri-environmental climate initiative in Ireland, designed to assist farmers in enhancing biodiversity, climate resilience, and air and water quality on their farms. It is an integral part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 and is endowed with a substantial budget of €1.5 billion.

Within this scheme, farmers have a selection of actions to choose from, tailored to their specific location, land type, and environmental priorities. Certain actions are performance-based, meaning that farmers receive compensation based on the actual environmental improvements they achieve. While the scheme is open to all farmers, priority access is granted to those whose land holds greater environmental significance.

The ACRES program adopts a dual-track approach:

1. ACRES General is accessible nationwide and is divided into three priority tiers: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3.
   • Tier 1 farmers receive the highest priority and encompass those with land in Natura areas, commonage land, geese and swan habitats, breeding wader hotspots, high-status water areas, rare breed farmers, and organic farmers.
   • Tier 2 farmers come next in priority and comprise farmers with land in vulnerable water areas.
   • Tier 3 farmers are allocated the lowest priority and encompass all other farmers.
2. ACRES Co-operation is available in specific high-priority geographic areas defined by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. It encourages groups of farmers to collaborate in order to deliver environmental benefits at a landscape level.

The program sets a cap on payments at €10,500 per farmer per year. The application process for the scheme commenced in October 2022, with the first round of contracts becoming effective on January 1, 2023. The second round of applications is anticipated to open in the third quarter of 2023.