IFA Meet Taoiseach on Commonages and Glas

At a meeting on a commonage in Co Mayo with the Taoiseach this week, IFA Connacht Regional Vice-Chairman Tom Turley impressed on Enda Kenny the need for flexibility in the implementation on the new rules governing commonages for the Single Farm Payment and the new GLAS scheme.

He also highlighted the need for an early opening of GLAS for 30,000 farmers and said a significant payment would have to be provided next year.

In a constructive meeting with the Taoiseach, Tom Turley said the Department of Agriculture must take responsibility for developing a common plan for each commonage to ensure that all farmers wishing to participate in GLAS are facilitated. Other flexibilities required in relation to commonages were also highlighted.

Tom Turley, who was accompanied by the Chairman of Mayo IFA Padraic Joyce and IFA General Secretary Pat Smith, said it was vital that the GLAS scheme was open without delay, so that farmers had ample opportunity to apply and that the contract payment period for 2015 would be significantly improved upon as the proposed three months in 2015 was totally unacceptable.

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