Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We recently opened GLAS and now more than 50,000 farmers are eligible for payments under the scheme. Currently, fewer than 9,000 applications await payment. As such, a very substantial number of farmers have already been paid. We are working through this as quickly as possible, which I appreciate is cold comfort if one is among those awaiting payment. However, the Department is approving payments as they are processed. Some have outstanding documentation due and communication is happening with farmers in that regard. We are making every effort to clear the backlog of payments due.

See this speech in context