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The 6,000 farmers who have not submitted a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) under the Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme (GLAS) has not met the requirements of the scheme, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Andrew Doyle has said.
Speaking in Dáil Éireann on Thursday in response to Sinn Féin’s Martin Kenny, he said that a plan must be submitted on behalf of each GLAS 1 and 2 participant before 2016 balancing payments and any future GLAS payments, including 2017 advance payments, can issue.
“Plans have now been submitted on behalf of over 80% of GLAS 1 and 2 participants. Just over 6,000 NMPs remain outstanding.
“This specific figure of 6,000 is what is raised here today raised by the Deputy [Kenny]. Let me reiterate, these are not delayed payments as has been suggested.
“It is simply not possible for my Department to make these payments because the 6,000 applicants have not met the requirements by not submitting their Nutrient Management Plan.
“Over 30,000 applicants have submitted the plan and hence have received their balancing payment immediately.”
Terms and conditions
Minister Doyle said that the requirement to submit a plan is clearly set out in the terms and conditions of the scheme when first published in October 2015.
Also set out were the implications for not submitting the plan which is that no further GLAS payment will issue until the NMP is submitted, he said.
We are very keenly aware of the need to process these cases and issue these balancing payments without delay.
“We have regularly communicated the importance of submitting these to participants, the farm representative bodies, the advisors and the media generally in order to generate as much awareness as possible.
“I would like to take this opportunity to once again remind all GLAS 1 and 2 participants that an NMP must be submitted so that any outstanding balancing payments for 2016 and more importantly all future payments can issue.
“Failure to do so prevents you receiving any future payments under the scheme.”
Future payments
“My Department is now preparing to make the 2017 advance payments to participants next month.
“As things stand, these 6,000 participants will not be receiving this payment unless an NMP is submitted.”
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