Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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834. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position in relation to the 2015 GLAS payments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27261/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Some 38,000 farmers were approved into the first two Tranches of GLAS, which is a record number of entrants to an agri-environment scheme in a single year.

A part-year payment in respect of the final three months of 2015 for certain GLAS actions is due to some 22,000 GLAS tranche 1 applicants. 

Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, have to be completed before any payment can issue. 

A first instalment of this 2015 payment, representing up to 85% of the total 2015 payment due issued to 18,000 applicants in December 2015 and a further 3,000 applicants in March 2016. 

The 2015 balancing payments issued to 18,500 applicants in early August 2016 and my Department is continuing to process outstanding 2015 payments subject to the completion of all the required regulatory checks.

Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, must be completed before any payment can issue.  As a result, my Department is obliged to ensure that individual payments will not issue until all aspects of a farmer’s application are in order, all outstanding documentation provided and all queries resolved.

Outstanding payments under GLAS 1 are due to unresolved queries associated with applications such as data issues, errors identified during the Basic Payment Scheme cross checks, inspection cases that are currently being finalised, changes in Land Parcel Identification System numbers and changes in areas.  Officials in my Department are working on all outstanding applications on a case by case basis with the intention of processing payments as soon as possible.