Laois farmers get €2.1 million from green low-carbon grant scheme

Senator Pippa Hackett has welcomed the early release of Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) payments which she said would see 588 Laois farmers receiving €2,100,751.85 for their efforts across the three tranches of the GLAS scheme.

Senator Hackett is a farmer and Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture.

“Farmers are making an effort to improve their farming practices and make them more sustainable. They deserve to be supported in their efforts and I’m glad to see the payments being made earlier than expected,” said the Green Party Laois Offaly representative.

A total of 588 Laois farmers have now received €2,100,751.85 for their efforts across the three tranches of the GLAS scheme.

She issued the statement after the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, announced that the 2020 advance payments under the GLAS will commence this week which is two weeks ahead of schedule. He said €138 million will arrive in almost 40,000 GLAS farmers’ bank accounts this week.

“I am delighted to confirm that advance payments to just under 40,000 GLAS participants, worth over €138 million will issue this week. Farmers across the country, in what has been a particularly challenging year, will benefit from these payments. These advance payments at a rate of 85% of the full annual payment are important support to farmers in the delivery of key environmental actions. They are also of importance to the wider rural economy.

“I have previously outlined that a key priority for my Department is the efficient issuing of scheme payments to farmers.  I am very pleased that these payments are commencing two weeks ahead of our stated target of mid-November and are issuing to a higher number of participants than last year. Overall compared to this time last year we are paying €4 million more to 3% more scheme participants which is a fantastic outcome in light of Covid-19 restrictions.

“When combined, payments under the 2020 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme (ANC) which started in September and the advance BPS payments which commenced on the earliest possible date of 16 October 2020 together with GLAS Advance payments mean that payments of over €1.12 billion have now issued to Irish farmers since September.”

“The good news for these GLAS participants is that they now have the certainty of participating in the scheme for next year if they wish thanks to us securing the funding allocation in the budget. I am pleased that we have achieved this and avoided the issues of the past where scheme participants did not have this certainty when transitioning from one RDP to another,” said the Minister.

In order to facilitate farmers wishing to contact the Department regarding their GLAS payments, extended hours are in place for the GLAS Helpline that will be open from Monday to Friday and on the morning of Saturday 7 November and Saturday 14 November up to 1.30pm. 

The GLAS Helpdesk can be contacted at 076 1064451. 

Farmers can also submit any queries by email to GLAS@agriculture.gov.ie .

The Department says regular pay runs will be in place over the coming weeks to issue payments as GLAS cases are cleared for payment.  Any GLAS participants with outstanding documentation including LESS or Rare Breed Forms or those who have been contacted by my Department with queries in relation to their GLAS participation or BPS application should respond as soon as possible in order to facilitate the early issue of payments.