Some 552 payments under GLAS 1 or GLAS 2 have been made in the past two weeks, according to figures released by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed.
As it stands, 33,129 farmers in receipt of GLAS 1 or GLAS 2 have received 85% of their total 2016 payment.
This means that 3,713 applicants still remain unpaid; this figure compares to 4,265 applicants left unpaid two weeks ago.
In total, close to 90% of GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 applicants have received 85% of their total payment for last year.
Minister Creed revealed the figures in response to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fail’s Agriculture Spokesperson Charlie McConalogue.
Counties Cork, Mayo and Galway represent the regions with both the largest proportion of applicants under the scheme and the highest number of applicants still awaiting payment.
When will the outstanding 85% GLAS payments be completed?
Earlier this month the IFA claimed that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine gave a commitment that all outstanding 85% GLAS payments will be completed by the end of this month.
The commitment was reportedly given at a meeting of the Farmers’ Charter of Rights Monitoring Committee in Portlaoise, Co. Laois on Thursday, April 6.
With 3,713 applicants under GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 still awaiting payments, this would mean that over 1,850 payments would have to be processed each week until the end of the month to meet this alleged commitment.
The delays in GLAS payments are totally unacceptable, according to the IFA’s Deputy President Richard Kennedy. He called on Minister Creed, to get all payments out without any further delay.
Meanwhile, the ICMSA Deputy President, Pat McCormack, said that it was essential the Department delivers on commitments given at the meeting of the Farmers’ Charter of Rights Monitoring Committee.
McCormack described the ongoing delays in GLAS payments as a ‘complete disaster‘.
Pat McCormack described the ongoing delays in GLAS payments as a complete disaster and he said the onus was squarely on the Department to work through the outstanding cases and get them cleared for payment immediately.
It’s worth putting the GLAS matter in context. Many of those awaiting payment applied for GLAS almost two years ago and still have received no payment, despite complying with the full terms and conditions of the scheme.
“We have called on the Department to immediately issue the 15% balancing payment for those GLAS 2 applicants who have had their inspections and are therefore eligible for payment.
“GLAS+ payments are also outstanding and must be issued immediately to farmers, who have encountered significant financial difficulties as a result of land designation,” he said.