GLAS payments should issue to more than 200 farmers this week, officials from the Department of Agriculture have said.

The latest pay run is expected to be made on Thursday evening, which would bring the number of farmers still waiting for payment to 4,894.

At just 200 this week, the issuing of payments appears to have slowed since last week, when almost 700 payments were issued.

The total money owed to all applicants under the scheme is €112,926,223 and the 4,894 farmers still waiting have not received any of their first 85% payment.

The GLAS scheme has been plagued by IT problems, which the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has said are mainly in-house within his Department.

Farm organisations have described the GLAS delays as a debacle and a clear breach of the Farmers’ Charter of Rights.

Read more

Full coverage: GLAS