Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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1043. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when farmers will receive the balance of GLAS payments due since December 2017. [14942/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Balancing Payments for the GLAS scheme can only commence when the Member State has verified that all eligibility conditions have been met. This is a requirement in the relevant EU Payment Regulations and is a long-standing EU audit requirement.

DAFM is currently under-taking the required level of inspections required to facilitate the balancing payments and is working to have this completed by mid-May. It is anticipated that GLAS balancing payments will then commence in mid-May.

I would encourage any GLAS applicant with outstanding obligations, such as the submission of a Nutrient Management Plan or a Commonage Management Plan to speak to their advisor and ensure that this work is completed as a priority. Without the submission of all the required information, these applicants will be ineligible for their balancing payment.