Glas Payments Long Overdue – IFA Calls for Maximum Payout

Young Farmer

IFA Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady has said the 38,000 farmers who are due a GLAS payment over the coming days must receive the payment promptly.

Frustration has been building among farmers at the delay in payment, which had been promised for some time. At last week’s meeting on the Charter of Farmers’ Rights, the Department of Agriculture promised that €124m would be paid out under GLAS before year end.

Joe Brady said, “Delays in payments are a major problem for farmers who have incurred costs such as planning and compliance fees. With the 85% payment now being made, it is vital that the remaining 15% is paid at the earliest possible date in 2017.

“The GLAS Scheme was promised to be worth €250m per year; this level of payment needs to be achieved with numbers in the scheme growing to more than 50,000 following the recent closure of GLAS III applications.”

The Rural Development Chairman said all direct payments are vital supports. This has been highlighted recently in the Teagasc Outlook for Farm Incomes in 2017 which showed payments such as GLAS are a vital component of farm income.”

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