GLAS pay-run of just 323 on Friday as anger mounts
A FURTHER 323 GLAS farmers got their money last week from the Dept. of Agriculture as pressure grows on Minister Michael Creed to clear the payments logjam.
IFA President, Joe Healy, said that while he welcomed the latest payment run, progress was still far too slow in getting rid of a backlog still in excess of 8,500 participants.
“Many of the checks and details holding up those payments are over very small issues and should not prevent farmers from getting their money.
“There seems to be an ongoing problem with IT and administration in processing those applications and really as we approach mid-February that is simply not good enough for the farmers who haven’t got paid,” said Joe Healy.
He said that on the previous Friday (Jan. 27), a pay-run of 1,200 had been achieved and he had hoped that a similar figure could have been reached last Friday.
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, has described delays in the payments as scandalous, and has called on the Minister to intervene to relieve the financial pressure many family farms are under as a result of the stalled payments.
The latest figures from the Department reveal that almost 9,000 farmers are still waiting for their 2016 GLAS payments, while there are over 2,600 farmers who have not received their 2016 AEOS funds.
“I am seriously concerned about the delays in these payments. I am meeting with farmers every week who are at the end of their tether, as a result of the additional financial strain which has been placed on them as a result of the delays. These delays are unprecedented – and completely unacceptable.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.