This was confirmed at an Agriculture Consultants Association (ACA) training day in Portlaoise with the Department of Agriculture. This is because eligible farmers must have submitted a 2014 application and submitted the land in 2014.

The farmers ruled out will be eligible to join the second tranche of GLAS once they submit a 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application. The second tranche of GLAS could be opened later this year or in early 2016. All farmers in partnerships will have to bring their own land into the partnership to be eligible to apply for GLAS in their own right.

Approval

ACA President Tom Dawson said advisors must be approved to carry out GLAS applications immediately as members have lost two weeks' work already. He said those not yet approved are at a competitive disadvantage. Patricia Kelly from the Department's GLAS section said it was a serious issue and most advisors will be approved shortly.

Rented land

The Department confirmed GLAS payments can be made on rented land as well as leased or owned parcels. However, the farmer must have control of the land for the duration of the GLAS contract. So if a farmer claims an action on rented land and loses it, there will be clawbacks to payments made. Additional land submitted on the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme cannot be submitted to GLAS this year.

Commonage

The details of the commonage farmers with priority access to GLAS is expected to be released next week. The Minister of Agriculture Simon Coveney has said Commonage Management Plans do not have to be completed until 3 July 2015.

Patricia Kelly, GLAS section Department of Agriculture this is a concession but it is required in order to issue approvals to farmers under the scheme. However, many of the advisors present said the timeline for completing these plans remains too short.

Read more on GLAS

Concerns that not all farmers will get into GLAS

GLAS advisor focus: Breian Carroll of Carroll Consultancy

Getting into GLAS - the four measures to look at first

GLAS advisor focus: Michael Maloney of Maloney and Associates

GLAS: Getting the farmers’ viewpoints