Mayo TD demands end to means testing as ACRES delays jeopardize college grants
Mayo TD Paul Lawless TD has today expressed deep dismay at the ongoing delays in ACRES payments, with thousands of farmers still waiting on entitlements dating back to 2023.
Speaking after a recent Joint Committee meeting, Deputy Lawless described the situation as “a bureaucratic blunder that’s now snowballing into a crisis for rural families.”
“Farmers have been given the runaround. Some were even led to believe the delays were their fault. That’s not just wrong, it’s insulting,” said Deputy Lawless.
“The Department of Agriculture’s failure to process payments on time means many farmers will now receive two years’ worth of ACRES income in a single calendar year. While that might sound like a windfall, it’s anything but.
"This lump-sum payment will push some families over income thresholds for means-tested grants — particularly SUSI college grants — leaving students without vital support through no fault of their own.”
“Imagine doing everything right — protecting the environment, following the rules — and then being told your child can’t get a college grant because the department couldn’t get its act together. That’s not just unfair. It’s outrageous,” Lawless said.
Deputy Lawless is backing the committee’s proposal to write to SUSI and request flexibility in assessing grant applications affected by this anomaly. But he’s going further: calling for ACRES income to be fully disregarded from means tests, just as it is for social welfare applications.
“ACRES is an environmental scheme. It’s not a profit-making venture — it’s a public good. Penalising families for participating in it is like taxing people for planting trees,” said Lawless.
He also called for a full review of the department’s payment systems and greater transparency in communications with farmers.
“We need more than apologies. We need accountability. Farmers deserve to know what went wrong, and how it’s being fixed — not just vague reassurances and delayed cheques.”
Deputy Lawless is urging all affected families to contact his office and share their experiences, so he can continue to advocate for fair treatment and real reform.