Sinn Fein has slammed the Department for Agriculture for failing to make GLAS payments to approximately 10,000 farmers in Ireland.

The Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) offers payments for applicants who carry out actions to enhance the rural environment.

Senator Rose Conway-Walsh said several "distressed" farmers had contacted her in relation to the payments.

She said: "They were due to be paid in December after submitting GLAS 1 and 2 and Plans in May 2015 and December 2015 and have had no explanation as to why they have not been paid.

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"This is a completely unacceptable situation where the Department of Agriculture have had 18 months to access the 30,800 applications and 10,000 are not yet processed. At a recent meeting with the Department, I raised the issue of staff shortages in the Department and the need to recruit more staff to provide an effective and efficient service to farmers. It is now obvious that this has impacted on the administration of GLAS.

"The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed must intervene immediately to get these payments out. Farm families and indeed wider communities are depending on this money. The hardship and stress being endured as a result of not getting the payment is wholly unacceptable."

(CD/MH)