The Dealer was at a recent meeting addressed by Andrew Doyle, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, in his Wicklow constituency. There, Doyle confirmed that he was among around 8,000 farmers still waiting for their 2016 GLAS payments.

After weeks of bad blood over the delays, including successive farmers’ protests, one thing our ministers can say for themselves is that they’re not out of touch with the issue.

Unlike the proverbial pothole fixed outside the local politician’s home, however, this does not seem to have helped in accelerating a solution to GLAS hiccups.

Read the latest from Agriculture Minister Michael Creed on GLAS delays in our exclusive interview this Thursday in the Irish Farmers Journal and at www.farmersjournal.ie