Listen: delayed payments – people behind the numbers

Paddy Denning, Co Cavan

I am here today because I didn’t get my 2016 GLAS payment. I am hoping the Department can pay this money out immediately, even if there are deductions or problems to sort out afterwards. The farmer needs to be paid on the day because it is not just the farmer who is waiting in most cases. Money might be owed to the contractor, the bank, the merchant. I joined GLAS I and have only got money for the last three months of 2015 and I didn’t get any money for 2016. We have had considerable cost last year carrying out actions for the scheme but have not received any worthwhile payment to subsidise this expense.

Padraig Corcoran, Co Roscommon

I haven’t received my GLAS payments and there has been no explanation made to me why payments have not been made yet. I joined GLAS II in 2015 and have not received any payment. Costs included hiring contractors for fencing and wild bird cover, purchasing stakes and wire, purchasing seed, and the cost of buying bird, bat and bee boxes also. All this was extra expense with no return. It has been very difficult to get in contact with the Department, probably because they have been inundated with calls. I would like the Minister to just make the payments now because it was all money out last year on top of a very bad year in farming.

Pat O’Shea, Co Kerry

I cannot understand that farmers always have to meet strict deadlines for schemes or risk a penalty but when the Department fails to meet deadlines there is no consequence. I joined GLAS over a year and a half ago and only received €400. There is a lot of cost that comes with joining the scheme that really needs to be subsidised immediately. They had better take today’s protest seriously because this is only a token protest to show the anger that’s out there. If they don’t make progress on immediate payments they will be hearing from us.

Listen to more farmers' stories in our podcast below:

Listen to "Farmers protest GLAS payment delays" on Spreaker.

Read more

Farmers lock horns with Department on GLAS

In pictures: three GLAS protests in the space of just 24 hours