Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 January 2018
1177. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding Green, Low-Carbon, Agri-Environment Scheme, GLAS, payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1055/18]
View answerTo date the Department has issued 2017 GLAS advance payments to 39,000 famers totalling €140m. GLAS pay-runs are continuing on a weekly basis with further payments scheduled to issue this week as cases are cleared for payment.
However, between 3-4,000 GLAS applicants remain ineligible for a payment for a number of reasons including participants with outstanding annual Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) forms. The majority of applicants who correctly submitted their LESS form on time have now been paid their 2017 GLAS advance. The Department has made great efforts to bring this issue to the attention of farmers and advisors. Multiple reminders have issued. Participants with outstanding LESS forms are urged to submit them immediately.
Rare Breeds Forms are outstanding or requiring amendment in almost half of the cases qualifying for this action. Nutrient Management Plans remain outstanding in respect of some GLAS I and II participants and applicants should contact their advisors directly to have these submitted urgently. The Commonage Management Plan (CMP) requirements have not been met by some participant’s Commonage Advisor. Non-Submission of a 2017 BPS application – participants who fall into this category are being advised on the steps required to rectify the situation.
The remaining cases continue to be processed by the Department. As part of the processing of GLAS payments the Department is required to verify all of the data on which the claim is made. Where cases, correctly and accurately, do not pass the validation process they must be further examined and the issue arising resolved. Once these cases pass all validations they are included in future payment runs. Where action is needed by the participant concerned the Department is in direct contact with them.
