Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme applications are taking double the time that they did last year due to technical glitches with the Department’s online system, according to advisers.

A Tipperary-based adviser told the Irish Farmers Journal that last year, the average application took an hour where as this year it’s averaging two hours.

“This new online system, while it has the potential to be great in time, has a lot of teething problems. The list is as long as my arm. GAEC maps aren’t loading – you’re just getting white screens, another thing is that you can’t print a PDF of what you’ve submitted at the end,” he said.

Frustrated

A Cork-based adviser was also frustrated with the system not allowing for a summary of a submitted application to be generated.

“I’ve done two applications this morning and I can’t print a copy for myself or the client. Maps aren’t opening either if you want to create new parcels.

“It’s a new system and it’s just slow. Thank God there was an extension, you’d be hoping in the meantime that the Department will fix the issues,” she said.

While most advisers say they will meet the deadline of 29 May, pressure is most certainly higher than other years.

Former president of the Agricultural Consultants Association Tom Canning said: “The system is constantly breaking down, it’s frustrating especially when we have so many deadlines coming at once. It’s like taking one step forward and two steps back.”

As of today, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed that 69,295 applications have been submitted by advisers.