Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister knows, the rural development programme is an essential part of agricultural income, funding and cashflow for farmers. The Minister indicated that many of the GLAS payments will be made in December. With regard to the beef data genomics programme, as of mid-November just over 50% of the €52 million budget for this year had been paid to farmers. Can the Minister update me on the position and give an assurance on those payments? When will farmers get them? Will the Minister also give an assurance that the budget will be spent this year? The uptake under the targeted agricultural modernisation schemes, TAMS, has been smaller this year. In respect of the €256 million budget for the rural development programme overall, it is crucial that what is allocated each year is spent each year. The Minister indicated that, as far as he is concerned, there can be follow-on from one CAP programme to the next. However, under the GLAS scheme there are specific allocations committed to by the Government for the duration of the CAP and also for each year. It is crucial that this is delivered on and that it ends up in farmers' pockets and is not withheld by the Department, particularly considering the enormous income pressures on farmers.

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