Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) balancing payments in respect of 2020 will commence ahead of schedule this week, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has announced.

This means that over €26.6 million in balancing payments will be made this week to over 43,400 farmers who are participating in the GLAS Scheme.

The balancing payment represents the final 15% of the 2020 payment and completes the total payment for GLAS actions undertaken last year.

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: [email protected].

Commenting on the payments, Minister McConalogue said: “I am very pleased to be commencing these GLAS balancing payments ahead of schedule to over 43,400 farmers.

"This is more farmers than last year receiving the payment at this stage and this €27 million will reward those who continue to make environmental improvements on their farms.

The minister added: “Today’s payment of over €26.6 million brings the total payments made to date in respect of GLAS to €990 million.

"It means that 90% of GLAS participants have now been paid in full in respect of their 2020 GLAS commitments.”

The minister also commented on the level of uptake by GLAS Tranche 1 and 2 participants of an offer of a one-year extension on their contracts. The extension offered extends the final date of these contracts from December 31, 2020, to December 31, 2021.

The Department of Agriculture also highlighted that a further 13,000 continue to participate in Tranche 3 of this agri-environment scheme during 2021, in accordance with their original contracts.