In the latest update on payments from the Department, a substantial 2,300 GLAS farmers were still ineligible to receive their 85% advance payment, which first began issuing in late November 2017. Currently, approximately 3,700 farmers are still waiting for payments through the scheme.

According to the Department, over 97% of eligible participants have now received a GLAS advance payment, with €31m issuing in 2018 alone.

This still leaves approximately €13m that is due to issue to farmers in the scheme.

Eligible farmers alone are waiting for nearly €5m of these payments.

Terminations to follow

According to the Department, some of the main reasons why farmers remain ineligible are due to the non-submission of nutrient management plans (NMPs) and commonage management plans (CMPs), non-submission of rare breed record sheets and non-submission of low emission slurry spreading (LESS) forms.

As of 9 March, there were 230 GLAS I and II farmers who had not submitted an NMP.

These farmers received a letter requesting submission of an NMP within 10 days. This deadline has now passed and any farmers who have not already submitted their NMP will be terminated from the scheme.

GLAS III farmers have up until 31 March 2018 to submit their NMP or they will not receive any future GLAS payments. A final letter has also been sent out requesting the submission of LESS forms within 10 days or it will result in the loss of action or, again, termination from the scheme where the action is the sole priority.

A similar rule is in place for the submission of the outstanding 205 CMPs.

The Department has set the final deadline of 31 March 2018 for the submission of all fully completed CMPs.

Again, if this is not completed, it will result in the action not being payable or termination from the scheme if the action is the sole priority action.

No reference has been made by the Department to farmers who have had to get maps redigitised.

However, a Department spokesperson did say that “other cases will be examined separately to advance the payment where due. Where action is needed by the participant concerned, the Department is in direct contact with them.”

GLAS training

In the last week, an additional €500,000 in GLAS training payments has issued to farmers and approved GLAS trainers, to bring the total amount paid to €7.9m. Farmers will not receive any further payments to GLAS I or II participants, until they complete the required training course.

GLAS III farmers have until the end of December 2018 to complete the course.

The Department has a dedicated helpline for GLAS participants – contact them at 076-106 4451 if you have any queries.

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