The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today announced the issuing of further 2021 advance payments under the Green Low-Carbon Agri Environment Scheme (GLAS). The GLAS-plus payments will commence this week in the amount of a further €3.5m. This brings to over €143 million the amount of GLAS payments issued in respect of 2021 advance payments to date.
Source: Rob Colman, BASE Ireland, Cover Crop Roots
GLAS participants who undertake particularly challenging actions may qualify for a GLAS-plus annual top up payment of up to €2,000. This applies where on farm priority environmental assets require the farmer to deliver a particularly high level of environmental commitment.
The Minister said, “I am very pleased that GLAS-plus payments are issuing this week. This brings total GLAS payments since the commencement of the GLAS scheme to a total of over €1.3 billion. The issuing of further payments and the rate of issue of these payments will be welcomed by farmers in every county in Ireland.”
“I have previously stated that a key issue for my Department is to ensure that scheme payments issue to farmers as early as possible.”
The Minister concluded, “In addition to the prompt issuing of payments, I am pleased that GLAS participants have the certainty of participating in the scheme again next year if they wish to do so. This comes on the back of funding I secured as part of Budget 2022. GLAS is a really important scheme as it supports farm family incomes while also making a positive environmental benefit, Achieving the necessary level of funding to do this is important to ensure the ongoing delivery of the environmental benefits under the scheme.”
GLAS participants who wish to extend their GLAS contract to end December 2022 may apply to do so before 10 December 2021 via the Agfood.ie portal. While the vast majority have already applied, the Department reminds those who are still thinking about it that they must submit their application by that closing date.
The GLAS Helpdesk can be contacted at 053 9163425.
Farmers can also submit any queries they may have by email to GLAS@agriculture.gov.ie.
Regular pay runs will continue to issue payments as GLAS contracts 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.
