Additional 750 Glas Payments Must Be the Start of Significant Payment Runs

Reacting to the announcement by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed in the Seanad today that 750 farmers awaiting GLAS payments are to be paid by the end of the week, IFA Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady said that the Minister must put maximum pressure on his Department to make payments to all the remaining 8,000 farmers due a payment.

He said payments made late last week to 323 farmers and the 750 to be paid this week represent some progress but the numbers paid in each run need to increase substantially.

Joe Brady said, “It is absolutely unacceptable that farmers who joined the GLAS scheme almost two years ago, and who were promised payments last October are still waiting with no definite answers as to when they can expect to get paid.”

He called on the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to immediately pursue with the European Commission the IFA proposal that all farmers awaiting GLAS payments are now paid and that any issues surrounding plans would be sorted out later.

In addition, IFA has urged the Department that where particular measures in a GLAS plan are cleared, payments should be made to farmers on these qualifying measures, even where there are issues with other measures in the plan.