Small farmers in Co Mayo are to receive lower payments than those available in the first round of GLAS applications.

The programme which is an agri-environmental scheme, aims at applying farming practices in unison with sustainable land use.

Fianna Fáil TD Dara Calleary said some farmers could stand to lose up to €2,000 as a result of the cut in the Low-Input Permanent Pasture (LIPP).

He said: "Sheep and commonage farmers in Mayo will bear the brunt of these changes and many could struggle to make up the financial hole which will be left by the payment reductions.

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"The first phase of this new GLAS scheme saw the Government fall short of its targets – with fewer than 20% of the country’s 15,000 commonage farmers signing up to the deal. These new changes will do little to attract farmers to apply for the scheme – the high levels of red tape for a meagre return could see many farming families deciding that there are too many hoops to jump through for a very meagre return.

"Not only have the funds been seriously depleted, the addition of new restrictions on the scheme will limit the number of farmers eligible to apply for the programme and the low level of take-up looks set to be repeated."

(CD)