As scoring of lands under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is due to begin next month, advisors have been issued with an update on scorecard training.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that attendance at an in-field scorecard training course in 2026 will not be mandatory for ACRES advisors who have previously attended such a course.

Attendance at in-field scorecard training had been mandatory for all ACRES advisors in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The department noted that it is still mandatory for new ACRES advisors, who were approved since the provision of scorecard training in 2025, to attend an in-field ACRES scorecard training course this year if they intend to submit scorecards for their clients.

Scorecards submitted by advisors who have not completed training will not pass prepayment validations and will result in the ACRES participant not being paid for the action(s) in question.

It could also lead to the rejection of these action(s) from a farmer's scheme contract.

ACRES

The scorecard training courses will be provided by the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) teams.

There are a total of 16 courses - 5 mandatory courses for new advisors and 11 refresher courses - scheduled to take place over the coming weeks across ACRES CP regions.

There will be a total of 25 places available on each course.

The department said it is not expected that additional courses will be provided later in the year.

The details of the voluntary refresher courses for advisors who have completed scorecard training previously are as follows:

May 25, 2026: Breifne - Bawnboy, Co. Cavan;
May 27, 2026: Donegal - Letterkenny, Co. Donegal;
May 27, 2026: West Connacht - Ballina, Co. Mayo;
May 28, 2026: Burren Aran - Kinvara, Co. Galway;
June 2, 2026: Kerry West Cork - Glencar, Co. Kerry;
June 8, 2026: Breifne - Leitrim Village, Co. Leitrim;
June 8, 2026: West Connacht - Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo;
June 9, 2026 West Connacht - Leenane, Co. Galway;
June 11, 2026: Leinster Rathanna, Co. Carlow;
June 17, 2026: Munster South Connacht - Woodford, Co. Galway;
June 19, 2026: Munster South Connacht - Kinnitty, Co. Offaly.

The mandatory courses for new ACRES advisors and for those who have not attended scorecard training to date are as follows:

June 2, 2026: West Connacht - Oughterard, Co. Galway;
June 3, 2026: Kerry West Cork - Glencar, Co. Kerry;
June 3, 2026: Leinster - Kinnitty, Co. Offaly;
June 4, 2026: Burren Aran - Kinvara, Co. Galway;
June 10, 2026: Donegal - Donegal Town, Donegal.

Further details of the locations of the courses and how to book are available on the DAFM website.

Scorecards

As outlined in the scheme specifications, all ACRES scorecards for each holding must be submitted within 14 days of initiating the first scorecard.

The last day for submission of scorecards to the department is August 31 each year.

In order for submitted scores to be valid and used to determine ACRES payments for 2026, they must be submitted by an approved advisor who has completed an in-field scorecard training course.