The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has today (Wednesday, March 8) announced that balancing payments under the 2022 Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme (GLAS) have commenced.
It means that over €22.1 million in payments will be made to some 36,500 farmers across the country who are participating in GLAS.
The minister confirmed that the balancing payments, which are two months ahead of schedule, will begin to hit farmers’ accounts this week.
Commenting on the announcement, Minister Charlie McConalogue said:
“I am very pleased that we are commencing these GLAS balancing payments ahead of schedule to 36,500 farmers. The payments which will commence from Friday, March 10, will issue to 84% of GLAS participants.
“Meeting our scheme payment commitments to farmers is a key priority of mine and this continues our excellent record in recent times on this.
“These payments are an important cashflow boost to farmers at this time of year and of course are a recognition of their contribution to the significant environmental achievements in GLAS,” he said.
GLAS
This is the final year of GLAS payments as the scheme officially ended on December 31, 2022.
The payments worth over €22 million announced today will bring the total payments made to date under GLAS to €1.35 billion.
The balancing payment represents the final 15% of the 2022 payment and completes the total payment for GLAS actions undertaken last year.
Payments will continue to issue in outstanding cases on a regular basis.
The minister said that this investment will be surpassed in the incoming Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
Last week, Minister McConalogue confirmed that all valid ACRES applications have been accepted.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), 46,230 applications were received under Tranche 1 of the new €1.5 billion agri-environment scheme.
The minister encouraged any farmers with queries in relation to GLAS to direct them by email to [email protected]