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

The green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, and the previous agri-environment scheme, the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, provide valuable support to farmers to deliver environmental benefits and public goods which will enhance Ireland's agricultural sustainability credentials into the future. They provide support to Irish farmers aimed at enhancement of biodiversity, water quality and mitigation of future impacts of climate change while allowing Irish farmers to improve their agricultural practices in a sustainable manner. To date, support valued at over €120 million has been provided to Irish farmers in respect of 2016 payments under these schemes.

The number of farmers active in GLAS is almost 37,500, of which 25,825 are in GLAS 1 and 11,667 are in GLAS 2. Almost 20,000 farmers in GLAS 1 and almost 8,700 farmers in GLAS 2 have successfully completed the GLAS prepayment checks in respect of the 2016 scheme year and a first payment instalment of 85% has issued in these cases. The balancing payment due to farmers who have received 85% of their 2016 payment will issue later in the year when the last of the required on-the-spot inspections have been initiated. The most recent payments issued on 30 January 2017, with €4.2 million issuing to just under 1,200 participants.

The year, 2016, was an exceptionally busy one as an additional 11,500 farmers were processed to approval in GLAS 2 and a further 14,000 new applications were submitted under tranche 3 and are currently being processed to approval stage with a view to increasing the overall numbers in the scheme to in excess of 50,000 scheme participants from 1 January 2017. It is acknowledged that payment targets have not been fully met, with under 3,000 GLAS 1 and under 6,000 GLAS 2 payments remaining to be fully processed. This is due, in the main, to unanticipated outcomes of the checks required to be carried out on each individual application.

Outstanding payments under both GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 are delayed due to a variety of issues, including declaration of incompatible parcel usage on the basic payment scheme, BPS, application for a chosen GLAS action; changes in parcel boundaries on which a GLAS action is chosen, including splitting or merging of parcels; an applicant no longer claiming a parcel on their 2016 BPS; incomplete documentation such as incorrect information on low-emission slurry declaration; incomplete interim commonage management plans; and incompatible data and parcel history on Department databases.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Just over 8,615 farmers in the agri-environment options scheme are due a payment in respect of 2016. Payment has issued to 6,020 AEOS farmers, with almost 2,600 remaining to be paid. As in the case of GLAS, the AEOS 2016 payments are issued in two parts, with an advance payment of 85% and the remaining 15% issuing thereafter. The most recent payments issued on 31 January 2017, when over €850,000 issued to just under 350 participants. Payments will continue to be made on a regular basis as files are cleared.

Outstanding payments under AEOS 2 are largely delayed due to rechecks which must be completed on payments made for all scheme years before the final contract payment can be processed.  Outstanding payments under AEOS 3 are delayed by stocking density checks. Farmers had until 31 December 2015 to meet their stocking density on commonages and a density check must be completed before payment can issue.

I also point out that a number of payments under both schemes are held up due to incomplete documentation and all participants are reminded to submit any outstanding documentation as soon as possible to facilitate payment. Payments under both schemes will continue on an ongoing basis as issues are resolved and cases are cleared for payment.

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