Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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45. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ensure there will be no delays in advancing 2017 GLAS payments in view of the fact that the issues being encountered are beyond the control of commonage farmers and relate to the online system for submitting commonage management plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47099/17]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister ensure there are no delays to the advanced 2017 GLAS payments? Issues are being encountered that are beyond the control of commonage farmers relating to the online system for submitting commonage management plans. As the Minister is aware, we have almost 9,000 participants in the GLAS scheme who have commonage attached to their holdings. The advance payments of 85% are being paid at the moment or are due to be paid by the end of the year. However, it appears that unless the commonage management plans are sent in, many farmers will miss out. That is not acceptable and it cannot happen. I am seeking an update from the Minister on how we can ensure they get paid.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My Department aims to pay as many farmers as possible their 2017 advance payment. The Department is dependent on all applicants providing the necessary material to qualify for payment.

All GLAS applications must pass regulatory controls and validations, as is the case with all European Union co-funded schemes. Each application must pass the necessary checks, including the commonage check, where applicable, before it can be approved for payment.

Commonage advisers have been assigned to prepare GLAS commonage management plans for the commonages involved. Information sessions for GLAS advisers on the GLAS commonage online system were held and a video demonstrating the system is available on my Department website. A further training session was requested and is taking place today. The online system opened on 19 September and the "submit" button to finalise commonage management plans has been available since 12 October.

Commonage management plans must be submitted before 2017 advance payments can issue and a target of 31 October was set for the submission of these plans. The commonage management plans online system remains open and plans submitted will continue to be processed for payment.

The main issue holding up the payment of outstanding 2016 claims, which will also hold up 2017 advance payments, is the fact that some participants have not yet submitted a nutrient management plan. This is a core requirement of participation in GLAS. As of 3 November, 5,275 nutrient management plans were outstanding. I urge all GLAS participants to attend to this urgently in order that outstanding balancing payments and future payments can issue as well as to ensure ongoing participation in the GLAS scheme.

Further payment runs will be made on a weekly basis as the required material is provided by applicants and cases are cleared. The aim now is to pay as many participants as possible their 2017 advance payment.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I would certainly encourage farmers to submit their nutrient management plans. They have been given notice and now have an opportunity to do so. While the Minister is keen to focus on that aspect of the requirements, he is not so keen to delve into the handling by his Department and himself of the commonage management plan process and the facility for submitting plans. As he pointed out, the button for making submissions did not go live until 12 October, yet the deadline for submitting plans was 31 October or less than three weeks later. The problem lies primarily with the Department. Its inability to get its information technology system up and running and available to farmers has led to the current difficulties.

On the Department's administration of the green, low-carbon, agri-environment scheme, GLAS, it is unfortunate that every time a hurdle appears, the Minister and his Department, rather than getting their preparation and strides right, run straight into it and take several attempts and considerable time to get over it. This was evident last year when many farmers were left waiting for ages and we are now seeing it again. Will a facility be provided to pay farmers the 85% advance payment while the commonage management plans are being submitted?

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Commonage advisers were appointed to most commonages in 2015, which left them with sufficient time to do preparatory work such as walking and assessing commonages. The uploading of the common management plan is far and away not the most onerous aspect of the process. On the contrary, it is the final action required in the process and there has been more than ample time to update all the plans since the system went live.

Like the nutrient management plan, the commonage management plan is an integral part of GLAS. As I stated, advisers were appointed in 2015. The Deputy correctly noted that there are approximately 9,000 farmers and 3,700 commonages involved. It is still feasible to have the commonage management plans submitted and the balancing and 85% advance payments made before the end of the year. The Department has the funding needed for this purpose. Compliance is a two-way street, however.

My Department has experienced well publicised issues with its information technology system since this time last year. We are ready to make the GLAS payments but applicants also have contractual obligations in respect of the commonage and nutrient management plans. Having been appointed in 2015, advisers have been well forewarned. The issue can be resolved. I urge planners to submit the plans as quickly as possible.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister states that farmers and planners were well forewarned. However, the Department was also well forewarned. Perhaps the Minister will explain the reason the "submit" button did not go live until 12 October, less than three weeks before the deadline.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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There is no deadline. The plans are still being received.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, but the problem is that farmers, many of whom had to wait months on end for their GLAS payment last year and need the 85% advance payment by the end of this year, will not receive the 85% payment until the commonage management plans have been submitted. Surely it is possible to make the 85% payment pending the submission of the commonage management plans. Why should farmers always suffer the pain when problems occur that are not of their making? I ask that the Department facilitate advance payments.

How many commonage management plans has the Department received? I have tabled parliamentary questions on this issue for the past two or three weeks and I have not yet received a clear response.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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My understanding, subject to verification, is that when a planner engages with the online system, he or she will leave a thumbprint or some form of marker on the system, even in cases where the plan has not been fully uploaded. The system has been engaged in respect of more than 2,000 of the 3,700 commonage management plans required. It is possible that we will receive the overwhelming majority of plans shortly and before we propose to make payments. As I stated, the planners were appointed in 2015, which has given them ample time to prepare plans. It is a matter now of uploading the commonage management and nutrient management plans. There has been a spike in submissions in recent days. I hope planners will be able to facilitate their clients by submitting the plans as quickly as possible.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Why could the plans not be uploaded before 12 October?

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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To be fair, that was not an issue and the facility is now available. There is no evidence to suggest planners were knocking down the Department's doors to submit plans. It does not take long to upload a commonage management plan.