Rural Development Council Report October 2020

Activity since last National Council

TAMS

• 3,448 farmers applied for TAMS in Tranche 18, which closed on August 21^st. In addition 1,240 applicants were carried forward from the previous tranche to give an overall application of 4,688.
• Approvals of 70% of these farmers will be made shortly. This will mean that 1,406 applicants will be carried into Tranche 19, which closes on October 31^st.
• IFA is insisting that there must be no delay in approvals for tranche 19 as to date the process is too slow.
• So far in TAMS around 31,729 approvals for TAMS have been issued. However, 6,685 applicants have not proceeded with their approval.
• Payments worth €231.8m have been paid out to 16,585 farmers to date. A further 900 farmers have lodged payment claims.
• When the carryover allocation from TAMS 1 is taken into account, €243.27m has been spent out of the 2014 – 2020 RDP allocation of €395m.
• In the 2020 Book of estimates €82.5m is allocated with about €54.8m paid out to date. It is expected that the full allocation will be paid out by year end. Under EU transitional rules IFA will be looking for the scheme to continue into next year.
• In Budget 2021 IFA will be seeking an allocation of €120m.
• The amendment to TAMS to increase the investment ceiling for pigs and poultry investment from €80,000 to €200,000 will come in under transitional arrangements in 2021.
• At a recent meeting with the Dept. it was pointed out to IFA that Grant Aid for LESS will not apply after April 2021 for farmers who are in the nitrates derogation, as it is a mandatory measure for the farmers in the nitrates derogation since April 2020.
• At this meeting, IFA also raised the necessity to increase the standard costings as they have not been reviewed for over 2 years.

2020 BPS/ANC Schemes

• IFA met the Department of Agriculture in early September to press for early pay-out across all schemes.
• At closing date for BPS 15^th May around 129,000 farmers had made application.
• IFA will be demanding that there is a maximum pay-out to all farmers of the 70% advance on the 16^th The balancing 30% will be paid out on Dec 1^st.
• ANC payments commenced on 16^th September last. So far, 87,565 farmers have been paid 85% of their payment worth €188.45m. Payments are being issued to around 1,000 farmers per week as they meet their minimum level stocking requirement.
• The balancing 15% payment will be paid in early December.
• IFA have got a commitment that any file that is out for inspection will not hold up payment for BPS or ANC.
• ANC payments are worth €250m to nearly 100,000 farmers.
• The Department’s LPIS review is continuing in counties Meath, Cavan, Longford and Leitrim. IFA is insisting that there is no repeat of last year’s debacle in Co. Louth where there were significant delays in payments due to digitising of maps.
• IFA will be taking this matter up with the Charter of Rights meetings on 8^th

ANC Appeals

• Farmers in townlands that lost out under the appeal can now take their case up with the Ombudsman office.
• IFA has requested that information to the unsuccessful townlands is issued by the Department of Agriculture, so that areas know what they can take up with the ombudsman.
• Of the 315 townlands which have appealed, 72 were successful with 22 townlands coming for the first time.
• Areas that were successful having been previously excluded, will get full payment restored this year. New areas will get full payment also. For those not successful, who have previously been included, they will qualify for a 40% payment in 2020 but will get no payment in 2021.

GLAS 

• At this stage 47,775 farmers have got their full 2019 payment. There are still about 600 due their balancing 15% payments for a variety of reasons. The total amount paid out under GLAS for 2019 is €202.86m.
• The remaining farmers are being paid as problems are being resolved.
• 2020 payments will commence in early Nov with a 85% payment. The remaining 15% will be paid in May 2021.
• IFA is seeking an extension of GLAS plans, for either 1 or 2 years and that an early announcement is made so that farmers are given ample time to apply for an extension.

EU Transitional Rules

• EU Transitional proposals have now been passed by the European Parliament and the Council of Minister.
• However, in the trialogues which also involves the EU Commission, the Commission is insisting on a one-year transition.
• The transitional rules are vital to allow the continuation of various schemes such as GLAS, TAMS, BDGP, and Sheep Welfare into 2021 or 2022.
• At the recent meeting with the Dept., the Rural Development Committee raised the extension of GLAS 1 and 2 for 36,000 whose plans finish at year end and 12,000 GLAS 3 farmers whose plans finish at the end of 2021.
• At the meeting with the Department of Agriculture IFA insisted that there must be a simple process to transpose plans for 1or 2 years.

EU/COPA Developments on CAP

• IFA is engaging with COPA and the EU commission on various aspects of CAP such as the transitional regulations, relaxation of BPS rules including inspections, applications dates and earlier payment dates for 2020 schemes.
• Ongoing dialogue with the Department of Agriculture to ensure a case is made to Brussels on changes to GLAS, ANC and TAMS schemes.

Upcoming Events

The Rural Development Committee meeting on Wednesday October 7^th.

Charter of Rights meeting on October 8^th.

Chairman	Michael Biggins
Executive	Denis Griffin