Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, it is. The Department is working hard to ensure we pay as many as possible. Previously GLAS would have been at full tilt. During the latter stages of the GLAS programme where farmers would have been following through in terms of years three, four and five, the maximum payment rate that was achieved in any one year involved 85% of GLAS participants because there are always some outstanding issues. If somebody had an issue with his or her basic income support for sustainability, it meant he or she could not be paid his or her GLAS. You will have recurrent issues like that. In previous years when the scheme was fully up and running, 85% was achieved. You would not expect to be able to reach the full 85% being paid this year given that there are probably a few other issues in the first year that you would not see in years two, three and four. The Department is liaising with farmers and their advisers around any issues they see with the objective of paying as many as possible their advance payment before the end of this year and the remaining payment at the start of next year.

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