10 FEBRUARY 2017

ICSA rural development chairman Seamus Sherlock has welcomed the news that all eligible farmers will be accepted into GLAS III. Mr Sherlock was speaking following the announcement by Minister Creed that 12,400 applicants have met the requirements of the scheme and will receive approval letters in the next week.

Mr Sherlock said “ICSA has been lobbying hard for this. GLAS has proven to be a hugely popular scheme and I am pleased the Minister Creed has decided not to deny any eligible farmers this much needed income source despite the scheme being oversubscribed.”

The remaining 1,600 applications require further checks however all those eligible will be entitled to participate in the scheme.

Mr Sherlock expressed hope these new entrants won’t have to endure the same delays in payment as are currently being experienced with GLAS I and GLAS II.

Commenting on the delays Mr Sherlock said “The wait goes on for up to 8,000 farmers. It is totally unacceptable that only a few hundred farmers per week are receiving payment. At this rate it could take months to clear the backlog. With so many farmers under pressure financially, not knowing when they will get paid only adds to the frustration. The department needs to ensure that this never happens again. We don’t want to see a situation whereby farmers pull out of the scheme over difficulties in getting paid.”

ENDS