GLAS payments are due to “reach bank accounts in the coming days”, according to the Department of Agriculture. However, it is yet unclear if these payments will reach accounts before Christmas.

Over 38,000 farmers already participating in GLAS are due to be issued 85% of their GLAS payment. The remaining 15% will be paid in the new year after a small percentage of on-the-spot checks are carried out. The Department also confirmed the first instalment of AEOS II and AEOS III payments has now been issued to eligible scheme participants.

Farmers and farming organisations are welcoming the payments, especially after the costs they incurred carrying out improvements towards the scheme this year. Most farmers made sizeable investments, such as fencing waterways, sowing wild bird cover, investing in low-emission slurry spreading equipment or paying a contractor with the correct slurry spreading equipment, to meet the requirements of GLAS.

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’Vitally important’

IFA rural development chair Joe Brady said the promise of GLAS payments this week has to be delivered upon and farmers will not tolerate any foot dragging on this issue.

“It is vitally important that all 38,000 farmers in the scheme get a payment as frustration is building up in relation to the processing of payments.”

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