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Agriculture Scheme Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 May 2017

Thursday, 4 May 2017

Questions (18)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

18. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of persons that have not received 85% of their total 2016 payment under GLAS 1, GLAS 2 and AEOS; the reasons for this delay; if the commitment made by his Department to spend €250 million per year on GLAS will be delivered in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21035/17]

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Written answers

Both GLAS and AEOS provide valuable support to farmers to deliver environmental benefits and public goods which will enhance Ireland's sustainability credentials into the future. They provide support to Irish farmers aimed at enhancing biodiversity, water quality and the mitigation of the future impacts of climate change while allowing Irish farmers to improve their agricultural practices.

The GLAS scheme is the latest agri-environment scheme available to farmers. It forms part of Ireland’s Rural Development Plan 2014-2020.  To date in excess of 50,000 farmers have had applications approved into the Scheme under three different tranches over a fourteen month period.  The approval of these farmers into the Scheme has been achieved a year ahead of the original target set when the Scheme was launched. I am satisfied that the full allocation to agri-environment schemes provided for in Ireland's RDP 2014-2020 will be used.  The annual expenditure in respect GLAS 1, 2 and 3 applications will only be known when GLAS 3 payments for 2017 have been processed. 

The first full year of payments to participants in the first two tranches of the scheme is 2016.  To date over 91% of these participants have received their 2016 GLAS advance payment which represents 85% of the total 2016 payment due.  There are some 3,000 applicants who have not yet received this payment as their applications have not passed all of the regulatory cross-checks of department databases and validation checks required to support these EU co-funded payments.

As the Deputy is aware, this is a complex scheme with over thirty different actions available which allows farmers a choice of environmental actions to suit their farms. However, with this flexibility of choice for farmers comes increased complexity in administrating the scheme.  My Department has committed significant resources in developing systems including IT systems to support this level of complexity, with the system required to support multiple changes in land parcel details and multiple combinations of actions across holdings.

Outstanding 2016 cases under GLAS 1 and 2 are delayed due to a variety of issues including - the declaration of incompatible parcel usage on the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application for a selected GLAS action; changes in parcel boundaries in respect of parcels selected for GLAS actions; an applicant no longer claiming a parcel on their 2016 BPS; incomplete documentation such as an incorrect or incomplete Low-Emission Slurry Declaration Form or interim commonage management plan.

All cases which have passed all of the required checks have been paid and cases continue to be paid as they are cleared.  In addition I want to reassure the Deputy that my Department is continuing to review outstanding applications on a case by case basis including contacting farmers directly by telephone, email or letter with a view to resolving all issues with outstanding cases as soon as possible.

In respect of the AEOS scheme there were 8,640 valid AEOS applications due a payment for the 2016 Scheme year. Of these, 7,436 have been paid, leaving 1,204 outstanding. 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 take place. As 2016 is the final scheme-year of payment for the AEOS 2 Scheme, re-checks on payments made for all scheme years must be completed before final payment can be processed.  This work is on-going and payments for valid checked files are and will continue to be released on a weekly basis.

I should point out that a number of payments under both schemes continue to be held up due to incomplete documentation and all participants are reminded to respond to any correspondence and submit any outstanding documentation as soon as possible to facilitate payment.

Payments under both Schemes will continue on an ongoing basis as issues are resolved and cases are cleared for payment.

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