Monies from various farm schemes are at risk due to interim Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) payments being classified as an “overpayment”, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA) has said.

ICSA president Seán McNamara said the Department of Agriculture must address the classification of ACRES interim payments as “overpayments” on their systems as a matter of urgency.

"The system adopted by the Department to manage ACRES payments has classified interim payments as overpayments, which means payments from all other schemes have been, and still are, at risk of being seized in an attempt to claw back these alleged overpayments.

“This is a ludicrous situation that needs to be rectified,” he added.

‘Reclaiming’

McNamara added that the Department’s system is flagging interim payments as overpayments in cases where the exact value of delayed ACRES monies has not yet been calculated.

“Consequently, the system is reclaiming funds from payments for other schemes as they become due and will continue to do so for future payments from all other schemes,” he said.

In late February, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue announced interim payments for participants of tranche one of ACRES who had yet to be paid for the scheme.

Over the following weeks, interim payments of €4,000 were made to those in the ACRES general and €5,000 to participants in the ACRES co-operation.

‘Insult to injury’

The ICSA president said this is just one issue among many with ACRES.

"Unfortunately, the debacle over ACRES payments still appears to have no end and this latest calamity is just adding insult to injury.

“There is no justification for seizing farmers' payments for other schemes just because [the Department] made such a mess of ACRES payments," he added.

The ICSA said it will be raising this issue at a meeting about the farmers’ charter in Dublin this Tuesday.