IFA urges Minister Creed to accept all GLAS 3 applications

IFA Rural Development Chairman Joe Brady has urged Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to accept all applications for GLAS 3 in light of the unprecedented demand from farmers for the scheme.

The closing date for the scheme’s third tranche is December 15, but this could be extended to ensure all potential applicants are accepted.

All contracts must commence on January 1 to allow farmers to avail of all five years of the plan, which runs to the end of 2021.

Mr Brady pointed out that three years into the Rural Development Programme (RDP), the planned GLAS allocation has been ‘significantly undershot.’

“GLAS had a total allocation of €1.45 billion over seven years,” he said. “Nearly three years into the RDP, full year payments are now due for both the first and second tranches of GLAS, with only the three-month payment made so far for 2015.

“By the end of 2016, only €160 million will have been spent by GLAS.”

Mr Brady said the Minister now needs to boost the numbers to at least 55,000 from January 1 so that the €250 million average annual pay-out is achieved by the RDP’s lifetime.

The IFA says it was told recently by the department that 2016 payments for GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 would commence on December 19.

The organisation added it’s vital that all 38,000 farmers in the scheme get a payment ‘as frustration is building at the processing of payments.’

“Given the recent Teagasc outlook for Farm Incomes in 2017, direct payment schemes such as GLAS are a vital component of farm income support,” Mr Brady said. “Farmers who join a scheme incur costs and must not have any payment delayed; maintaining cash flow is vital,” Mr Brady added appealing again for the acceptance of all applications.