August has been a big month for GLAS payments, with the Department paying out €3.2m to GLAS participants in the last fortnight. To date, this brings the amount issued to GLAS participants to €144m, in respect of 2016 actions.

The Department also confirmed that 4,000 farmers received their balancing payment in the last two weeks, as a direct result of submitting their Farm Nutrient Management Plan (NMP).

There are still 950 remaining GLAS applicants who must submit outstanding documentation, or other information, to the Department if their 2016 advance payment is to be processed.

In a statement, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed was encouraged by the “surge” of payment issued over the last two weeks.

“My Department will continue to make ongoing payments to farmers under the Rural Development Programme. I am delighted to see this surge in payments over the last few weeks, with thousands of farmers around the country receiving new payments as a result of their participation in the various RDP schemes,” he said.

TAMS

This August, €5 million of TAMS II payments are also expected to be paid out, averaging payments of over €1 million a week for the scheme.

As TAMS II payments to farmers will reach almost €5m by the end of the month, this will bring the total amount paid to date to over €21.25m.

“We are on track”

Creed was pleased with the level of interest showed in TAMS II, saying it highlighted the level of investment undertaken by farmers.

“I am delighted with the level of interest shown in the TAMS scheme and in these huge payment figures for August. It reflects the significant on-farm investment underway in Ireland, as farmers here continue to develop their enterprises,” Creed concluded.

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