Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On Senator Catherine Ardagh's comments on Rebuilding Ireland, I am a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, at a meeting of which this morning we were given comprehensive statistics for a range of measures in the context of that document. In fairness, the Minister has set targets and timelines, which is brave in the context of any programme, but I am not here to make a case for him. I have been critical of him many times at the joint committee, but he is delivering.

I would like to raise with the Leader the issue of GLAS payments for farmers. I was elected to the Agricultural Panel. In that regard, I have received a number of e-mails and telephone calls about an article that appeared last week in the Irish Farmers' Journal on late payments under GLAS, something of which I am sure many Members are aware. Farmers are spending on the basis of payments owed to them under the EU-Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's GLAS 1 and GLAS 2. Late payments are impacting on their cash flow. They are borrowing from the banks on the strength of these payments. I am speaking not about large amounts but small sums of money, ranging from approximately €300 to €7,000, but any amount is large when one does not have money, particularly at times when farmers are hard-pressed. This is a key issue. Farmers who signed up to GLAS 1 signed up to a range of conditions and commitments in regard to soil nutrients, the GLAS plan, the management plan and the camouflage and other environmental initiatives. They have done what they were required to do and now want their payments. They kept to their side of the bargain and have delivered in accordance with the terms and conditions set down in GLAS 1 and GLAS 2. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine stated on a number of programmes last week and in a one-to-one interview with the IrishFarmers' Journalthat he could not be sure when the payments would be made. I understand there are complications in the scheme. However, where people have entered into an EU scheme, administered on their behalf by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and have complied with the terms of the scheme, as farmers have done, they should not have to wait for their payments. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to come to the Seanad at his convenience to outline how he proposes to address the issues arising with this scheme. The farmers' charter of rights, 2015 to 2020, to which the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is a party, sets out the terms of the scheme and the terms of payment and what can reasonably be expected by the farmers and participating agricultural organisations involved in GLAS 1 and GLAS 2. This is a crisis; it is about cash flow for farmers. Something needs to be done. It is important that the Minister come to the House soon to explain what is happening. I am not interested in hearing about further delays or excuses for the current delays. I am speaking on behalf of the farming community, particularly small farmers to whom €4,000, €5,000 or €6,000 is a lot of money. I want the Minister to come to the House to outline how he proposes to ensure the payments will be made.