INHFA CAP chair Colm O'Donnell said problems with the Department of Agriculture’s IT system have left planners unable to log in or complete any Commonage Management Plans (CMPs).

With completed CMPs a European requirement to issue GLAS payments, O'Donnell warned that “it would be totally unacceptable if commonage farmers are left without payment because of factors outside their control”.

According to the INHFA, the drawing up of CMPs is complicated by the fact that we do not yet know exactly which farmers will be in the GLAS scheme, which will re-open later this year.

According to O'Donnell, “the obvious solution is to seek an extension with Brussels for the completion of these plans in order to facilitate GLAS 3 applicants”.

After the INHFA previously raised similar concerns last month, the Department told the Irish Farmers Journal that field work had commenced on CMPs at the end of 2015 and the online facilities would be in place to receive all plans by 1 December deadline.

The Department also said it would monitor the process "with the objective of having the work completed to facilitate payments to all commonage farmers under the scheme”.