Both the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) have taken to the streets in Kildare Street in Dublin and Castlebar, Co Mayo, respectively, to protest against the long payment delays in both GLAS and AEOS.

On Monday, the ICSA staged its own protest on payment delays at the Department of Agriculture in Co Wexford.

Approximately 10,000 farmers are still awaiting 85% of their 2016 payment under GLAS, which was due last October. Meanwhile, around 2,500 farmers are awaiting their AEOS payments.

Healy, president of the IFA, said farmers who participate in GLAS carry out a range of actions to enhance the rural environment.

However, more than 9,000 farmers have yet to be paid, despite having completed the actions required, incurring significant costs and planning fees in doing so.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that farmers who joined the GLAS scheme almost two years ago, and who were promised payments last October are still waiting with no definite answers as to when they can expect to get paid," he said.

"Farmers have upheld their side of the bargain, complying with the scheme and carrying out actions, at significant cost and effort. The minister and Department of Agriculture need to show the same level of commitment and ensure that payments are made immediately.”

Meanwhile, in Castlebar, the national chair of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA), Vincent Roddy, said enough is enough.

"We've had enough of being treated as second-class citizens and putting up with broken promises from this minister who gave assurances that farmers would be paid 85% of their GLAS money before Christmas," said Roddy.

The INHFA believes it is unacceptable that farmers should be penalised for the Department's obvious inability to sort out its own internal inefficiencies. Roddy pointed out "that, if necessary, experts in IT systems must be outsourced to sort out this mess. Farmers cannot wait any longer for their wages. What other sector in Irish society would put up with this?"

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