My colleague, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, announced today that the 2022 Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme (GLAS) balancing payments will commence this week.
I am delighted, that the beginning of GLAS balancing payments will be issued ahead of schedule to 36,500 farmers. The fact that these payments are ahead of schedule is a tribute to the work of all involved and is a help for farmer’s cash flow. I’m glad to say that the Department has an excellent record on this in recent times. GLAS payments are an important recognition of participating farmer’s contribution to environmental achievements.
The payments come two months ahead of schedule. This means that over €22.1 million in balancing payments will be made to 36,500 farmers who are participating in GLAS from Friday 10 March to 84% of GLAS participants.
Minister McConalogue said:
“These payments of just over €22 million brings the total payments made to date under GLAS to €1.35 billion. This investment will be surpassed in the incoming ACRES where I have secured €1.5 billion for this flagship environmental scheme. I was delighted to have secured places for 46,000 farmers in ACRES and I look forward to seeing ACRES commence in the coming weeks.
“The balancing payment represents the final 15% of the 2022 payment and completes the total payment for GLAS actions undertaken last year. This is the final year of GLAS payments as the Scheme ended on 31 December 2022."
Payments will continue to issue in outstanding cases on a regular basis. The Minister encouraged any farmers with queries in relation to GLAS to direct them by email to GLAS@agriculture.gov.ie