Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:75. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to re-open the GLAS scheme for new entrants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46930/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 8 November 2017
Ceisteanna (75)
Freagraí scríofa
The target set out in the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020 to approve 50,000 GLAS participants before the end of 2018 has already been achieved. The fact that the RDP target has been achieved almost two years ahead of schedule is a significant achievement on the part of both farmers and my Department and is evidence of the commitment of Irish farmers to the sustainable growth of the Irish agr-food sector into the future.
There are no plans to re-open the scheme. My focus now is on ensuring that payments to these participants are processed and my Department is working hard to begin making these 2017 advance payments in the coming weeks. The GLAS scheme is one of a suite of many RDP schemes and the re-opening of any scheme can only be considered within the overall RDP budget which is currently fully committed.
All GLAS applications must pass regulatory controls and validations as is the case with all EU co-funded schemes. Each application must pass the full suite of checks before it can be approved for payment.
The main issue holding up the payment of outstanding 2016 claims which will also hold up 2017 advance payments is the fact that some participants have not yet submitted a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP). This is a core requirement of participation in GLAS. As of November 3rd there were 5,275 NMPs outstanding. I urge all GLAS participants to attend to this urgently so that outstanding balancing payments and future payments can issue and to ensure ongoing participation in the GLAS Scheme.
Every effort is being made in order to ensure that payments are issued without delay. Further payment runs will be made on a weekly basis as cases are cleared including when NMPs are submitted. The aim now is to pay as many participants as possible their 2017 advance payment.