Several applicants to the higher level of the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) have reported that they have received invoices from planners before their scheme plan has been approved by DAERA.

In October, DAERA received 249 site-specific remedial management plans (ssRMP) from independent scheme planners on behalf of EFS higher-level applicants.

It is up to scheme applicants and their planners to agree a fee for surveying environmentally designated land and designing a ssRMP.

Farmers are then to pay the planner, following which DAERA will reimburse scheme participants within certain thresholds.

“DAERA is currently completing the checks on the site-specific remedial management plans received from planners and plan to issue agreements based on these later this month,” a department spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal this week.

However, farmers that have received invoices from planners already are reluctant to make payment in case their ssRMP is not accepted by DAERA, and subsequent reimbursement for planner’s fees is not made by the department. It is understood that while many of the plans were submitted to the required standard, some do need additional work.

On enquiry, the DAERA spokesperson said that the timing of payment is a matter between the farmer and planner within their own private agreement.

“Once an EFS higher-level agreement is accepted by the applicant, they will have the opportunity to submit a claim to DAERA in relation to the development of the site habitat plan up to the thresholds outlined in their letter of offer,” the spokesperson said.