“My neighbour had to sell bales of silage because he couldn’t wait any longer for his GLAS payment,” according to a beef farmer who contacted the Irish Farmers Journal

Thousands of farmers are enquiring about the status of GLAS I and II, AEOS and organic payments.

At Tuesday’s IFA AGM, Minister Michael Creed confirmed that over 9,200 farmers are still awaiting payment.

Despite assurances that payments would continue to issue this month, progress has been slow. Some AEOS payments have also been delayed. The Department said approximately half of the 4,000 AEOS II cases which successfully passed administrative checks have been paid. It added that the remaining cases are currently being checked and payments will continue to issue.

The ongoing hold-up in GLAS payments to 10,000 farmers has reached a tipping point according to the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association. The last week has seen the INHFA office once again inundated with calls from irate farmers regarding the non payment of monies, this time it is GLAS, which has being further compounded by our members inability to get any information when the ring the GLAS helpline in Johnstown Castle.

Second class citizens

The INHFA has said that farmers can no longer be treated as second class citizens.

In the run-up to Christmas "assurances were given that farmers would be paid 85% of their GLAS payments with the remainder to be paid in the New Year. For up to 10,000 farmers this has not happened and you have to ask, what other sector in Irish society would accept this," INHFA National Chair, Vincent Roddy said.

If the delays are due to IT problems Roddy said that it is unacceptable and that farmers need to know when they will get paid.

"It is now incumbent on the Minister to publicly clarify what the problem is and what measures are being taken to address it."

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