Farmers with shares in three commonages are paying up to €2,300 in professional fees to join GLAS, says Galway West Fianna Fáil TD Éamon Ó Cuív.

ICMSA rural affairs chairman Patrick Rohan says delays in GLAS payments represent a breach of the Farmers’ Charter of Rights, which states “payment of up to 75% will commence the third week of October and payment of 25% balance to commence when all inspections are completed, normally mid-December”.

The IFA is urging Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to speed up the process of issuing the €170m payments due to the 38,000 farmers who have signed up for the GLAS environmental scheme.

An extensive equipment grant scheme will open for farmers to make applications before April, said IFA National Grain Committee Chairman Liam Dunne last week — as he commented on a Co Cork-led campaign seeking better deal for tillage farmers.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said the 38,000 farmers joining the GLAS scheme to date is a record total for a single year’s entry.

GLAS payments are now being issued to thousands of farmers countrywide, Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister, Simon Coveney, has announced.

The LESS scheme is designed to complement related GLAS details on eco-friendly slurry spreading.

News Q&A: Liam O’Keeffe (IFDL)

The Department of Agriculture is examining a limited number of GLAS application cases, with a view to accommodating the farmers involved if it can be clearly shown that it was not possible to submit the application online.

ICMSA has called for GLAS amendments to make the scheme attractive for highly stocked farmers and farmers with small acreages.

Most of the 18,000 applications registered on the GLAS system up to last week will reach the maximum payment of €5,000 per annum, said Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

GLAS is not a whole-farm scheme like REPS.

Last week’s opening of an online GLAS system allowed advisors to start preparing the necessary proposals for their clients in the new agri-environmental scheme.

Farmers will get €370 per hectare of hen harrier-designated lands, in the GLAS agri-environment scheme.

The Irish Farmers’ Association has called on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to open the GLAS scheme in time to start contracts for all of 2015.