GLAS 2 farmers wait for letters of approval
THOUSANDS of farmers who have applied for inclusion in Tier 2 of the GLAS environmental scheme still haven’t received their official letters of confirmation/acceptance from the Dept. of Agriculture.
According to Galway IFA Environment Chairman, Bertie Roche, 11,500 farmers across the country – a significant number of them in Galway – were still awaiting their letters of confirmation, having completed their paper work last Autumn.
“These are farmers who have done their homework and who have paid their Teagasc planners or agricultural consultants to draw up their plans and yet they’re still waiting to be officially accepted into the scheme,” said Bertie Roche.
He said that while the numbers of farmers being taken into the scheme had been confirmed by the Minister, the letters of acceptance still hadn’t ‘come out’ from the Dept.
“We want the Minister and the Department to get their act together and get those letters of acceptance sent out to the successful applicants,” said Bertie Roche.
In January, Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney confirmed that 11,500 farmers were to be approved in Tier 2 of GLAS, bringing the total number of farmers in the scheme up to 38,000.
This week, Minister Coveney confirmed that the deadline for the completion of GLAS 1 actions in relation to the protection of watercourses from bovines and riparian margins, had been extended from March 31, 2016 to July 31, 2016.
“I am extending the deadlines for the completion of those GLAS actions due to the very wet weather and flooding of agricultural lands which occurred this winter.
“I am conscious of the work which farmers must undertake to fulfil these actions. I hope that this extra time will be of assistance to them in the completion of these important tasks
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.