GLAS Applications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 February 2017

Thursday, 2 February 2017

Ceisteanna (306)

Charlie McConalogue

Ceist:

306. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department is taking to facilitate all commonage farmers who wish to submit an application to GLAS by the extended deadline in view of the fact planners have encountered difficulties logging into the online system or completing commonage management plans as is mandatory under the scheme; if he will ensure that no delay to payments will occur in view of the fact the issues being encountered are beyond the control of commonage farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5188/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

There is no extended deadline for the submission of GLAS 3 applications for commonage or any other farmers. 

The deadline for the submission of Commonage Management Plans (CMPs) for farmers who have submitted a GLAS application was extended to 1 September 2017 to allow adequate time for inclusion of GLAS Tranche 3 applicants in the preparation and completion of the CMPs.

In respect of GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 2016 payments to commonage farmers I put in place interim CMP provisions and commonage farmers who signed up to interim CMPs for all of their commonages and who have passed all of the scheme pre-payment validation checks have been paid.  My Department is reviewing applications which have not yet passed all validations and once resolved these cases will be processed for payment.