According to Department figures, just under 52% of this year’s budget allocations under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) had been spent as of Monday, leaving €238m allocated for payments yet to reach farmers.

The Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), Green Low-Emission Agri-environmental Scheme (GLAS), Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) and Organic scheme were currently the schemes with the largest unspent allocations.

So far, €5.2m of the €142m earmarked for GLAS, €27.3m of the €52m allocated to BDGP and €4.5m of the €35.8m TAMS budget have been paid out. By contrast, the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme was on track to spend its €202m allocation.

“It is important to note that the bulk of expenditure in respect of BDGP, GLAS and other schemes will take place in December 2016,” Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed commented.

He was replying to a parliamentary question from Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue, who told the Irish Farmers Journal that he expected an underspend to remain at the end of the year.

He was particularly critical of GLAS, saying the Government allocated it less funds than promised, and difficulties in accessing the scheme meant uptake was lower than the expected 50,000, while the average payment fell under the forecast €5,000.

McConalogue also expects BDGP to remain under-spent at the year’s end and into the coming years due to low uptake. “In a year that has been very difficult for farmers, over half of RDP money has not yet been spent, putting undue pressure on them,” he said.

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Government 'head in the sand' on GLAS underspend