Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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25. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the balancing 2017 GLAS payments will be issued to farmers in view of the financial pressure and stress caused by the recent bad weather and subsequent fodder shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18290/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The GLAS scheme surpassed the original target of 50,000 participants well ahead of the targeted date - such is the popularity of the scheme. Given that the first approvals under the scheme run from 1 October 2015 it is a remarkable achievement to have exceeded this target within a period of 15 months. GLAS 2017 advance payments have now issued to over 47,000 applicants, representing over 99% of all participants that are eligible for payment. This payment is worth over €169m to Irish farmers. Payments are continuing every week.

GLAS, like previous agri-environment schemes supports participants in improving their agricultural productivity and practices in a sustainable manner. The scheme delivers overarching benefits to the rural environment and also addressed the issues of the mitigation of the impacts of climate change, the enhancement of biodiversity and the improvement of water quality. The scheme provides valuable support to participants who deliver public goods and environmental benefits that enhance the sustainability credentials of Irish agriculture.

The scheme is co-funded by the National Exchequer and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. As required under EU regulation two payments issue in respect of each year – the advance payment, followed at a later stage by the balancing payment.

GLAS payments cannot issue until all regulatory requirements are met. Each GLAS payment claim must be put through a suite of checks for each action and where any individual check fails the issues must be investigated and resolved before being cleared for payment.

I anticipate that GLAS balancing payments will commence in May and I would remind scheme participants that outstanding Nutrient Management Plans and Commonage Framework Plans must be submitted before this payment can be released.

In addition to the checks outlined above, in approximately 1,600 cases, applicants remain ineligible for payment until they complete the steps they must take before the Department can process their payment. The general issues preventing payments taking place include the non-submission of nutrient management plans, commonage management plans, low emission slurry spreading forms, rare breeds forms and 2017 BPS application issues that remain to be resolved.

Updates are published weekly on my Department’s website and clearly show that steady progress is being made in reducing outstanding cases. While my officials are prioritising the clearing of cases, where a farmer has been contacted for additional information it is important that any such request is responded to as the information requested is essential to finalise all checks