Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

People who are coming out of schemes will have no payment for over 18 months. That will create financial difficulties for the smaller and weaker farmer. Regarding commonage and getting farmers to sign up to a plan, I appreciate the difficulties that will present. Getting everybody or even 50% of people to agree on something will itself create huge difficulties. I welcome the fact that according to the briefing we were given recently, the Department is taking a far more flexible approach to this. That should be encouraged. If only one farmer out of five is prepared to sign up for it, he should not be penalised if the other four do not. I hope that will be provided for.

The Minister said that applications and a GLAS plan can be done without an implementation plan being completed. That is my understanding of the Minister's reply. That means the process can move forward as we wait for the implementation plan, particularly with regard to commonage areas.

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