Serious concerns have been raised over the Department of Agriculture’s decision not to give farmers their 2017 GLAS payments until Commonage Framework Plans are submitted.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Agriculture Martin Kenny TD said: "I have recently learned from a parliamentary question to the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed TD, that farmers in mountain areas, who require commonage framework plans to be complied for GLAS, will not receive their 2017 GLAS payment until that framework plan is submitted to the Department. The deadline for submitting the commonage framework plan is 31st of October 2017. However, the online portal for submitting the plans did not open until the 2nd of October 2017.

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"The policy of refusing payments until these framework plans are submitted will cause great difficulty. Considering the complex nature of the framework plans and the very short window being allowed to get the plans submitted, the Minister needs to review the situation to make sure this doesn't become another reason for delays in farmers getting paid their GLAS money."

(CD/MH)