IFA Rural Development Committee chair Flor McCarthy has called on the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to give a definite date for the reopening of GLAS in the autumn to give farmers ample opportunity to join the scheme. This follows on from confirmation that 27,000 joined GLAS before the end of May closure. IFA is insisting that all of those farmers are accepted into the scheme.

McCarthy said payment must follow in December for the period of time farmers are in the scheme as the loss of REPS payment in 2015 is a major blow to farm income. The three-month payment for 2015 announced by the minister is disappointing as the approval of GLAS plans in September would allow four months’ payment to be made. Every month, a farmer is in GLAS is worth over €400.

The Rural Development Committee chair pointed out that the aim must be to have 50,000 farmers in the scheme in 2016 and having an allocation in next year’s book of estimates of at least €220m.

IFA recently met the Department to look for further changes to the scheme before it reopens. These include technical issues, such as specifications, changes to the grey partridge scheme and splitting of parcels.

On commonages, IFA Hill Committee chair Pat Dunne said that with 4,000 farmers having so far joined GLAS, many more will join the scheme when their AEOS 1 plans are completed at the end of this year. The priority is to get the commonage planning process under way, with the issuing of guidelines to planners.