Online portals for the Knowledge Transfer (KT) Programme are still not working, with six weeks to go before the 31 May deadline.

Delays in launching the online KT portals are being put down to IT pressures, despite significant spending by the Department of Agriculture on IT.

In 2016, the Department spent more than €1.4m on IT infrastructure, and to date this year it has spent almost €87,000 of its €2.9m budget on capital expenditure.

According to Minister Michael Creed: “The vast majority of the capital projects are awaiting the finalisation of several large IT infrastructure-related tenders.”

In response to a parliamentary question, Minister Creed said the headline capital IT expenditure items for 2017 include updating the servers, workstations, video conferencing facilities and disaster recovery.

The Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) has renewed its call for the Department to extend the deadline for submission of KT forms.

ACA president Laura Johnston said that while she is confident that the required meetings with farmers will be completed by the 31 May deadline, getting the paperwork submitted will be extremely difficult, given that the BPS deadline is so close to it.

“Advisers are working around the clock to get everything done,” said Johnston. “I think the Department underestimates the amount of pressure we are under to complete everything. If you do one single thing wrong, the farmer may not get his BPS payment – that’s how serious it is.

“We need the DAFM to come out now and announce an extension to the KT deadline, not in two or three weeks’ time.”

The Fianna Fáil agricultural spokesperson Charlie McConalogue is calling for the KT scheme to be re-opened to new participants, as well as a two-month extension to the deadline.