Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2014
438. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to the proposed GLAS scheme, the structures that will be put in place to ensure that sustainable commonage management plans reach a common standard across the country. [27218/14]
View answerWork on the development of the GLAS Scheme is well advanced and detailed proposals will be submitted to the European Commission in the near future for consideration and approval. The new Scheme adopts a tiered approach to applications, giving priority access to certain actions which address specific environmental issues. These priorities are targeted towards actions which mitigate climate change, enhance biodiversity and address water quality. In this context, I have included the environmental management of commonage land as a Tier One measure, guaranteeing priority access to the Scheme.
GLAS differs from its predecessor AEOS in that all applications must be drawn up by an approved agricultural planner, including applications in respect of commonage land. Once the Scheme details are finalised and submitted to the European Commission, appropriate training modules, including the drawing up of sustainable management plans, will be developed and rolled out for approved planners, prior to the opening of the Scheme.
