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It has been revealed that 13% of farmers who were eligible for GLAS scheme in 2017 have yet to receive an advance GLAS payment.
Speaking in response to questions in the Dáil from Independent TD for Kerry South, Michael Healy-Rae and Sinn Féin TD for Kerry North–West Limerick, Martin Ferris, Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle said that there are 49,700 active participants in GLAS.
“By the end of this week, more than 40,000 of these will have received their 2017 advance payments, valued at €161m.
“This represents over 87% of farmers eligible for a 2017 advance payment.”
“In more than 3,000 of the outstanding cases, applicants remain ineligible for payment until they complete the steps that they must take before the Department can process their payments.”
There is nothing that we can do to advance these payments until the applicants complete their obligations.
“In most of these cases, this relates to outstanding documentation, which they must submit.
“As soon as this is received and assuming everything is in order, my Department will move immediately to issue payments.”
Minister Doyle outlined that the main issues including the need for advisers to submit farm nutrient management plans to the dedicated online system, commence commonage management plans in the case of participants with a commonage action and submit the required documentation in the case of the low-emission slurry spreading and rare breed actions.
“To be clear, many of these payments are not delayed, as has been suggested. It is simply the case that it is not possible for the Department to make them,” he said.
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