Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Each of the 14,000 farmers who applied to participate GLAS III made the choice to apply and signed up to a plan, much of which they will carry out from 1 January this year until December in the expectation that they will be paid. If the Minister's choices mean that they will not receive the full payment this year, perhaps he might confirm what his choices were for the 14,000 who signed up in good faith for the GLAS scheme. It would be better if they were informed in order that they would know in advance what their financial position would be, rather than finding out next December that they will not be paid because of a choice the Minister has already made. We need to learn from the hardship farmers participating in GLAS have experienced in the past year or two. The onus is on the Minister to communicate to farmers where they stand on payments due at the end of the year.