All farmers require the services of an approved GLAS adviser to prepare and submit a GLAS application on their behalf. A wide range of actions is available to all farmers and it is the adviser’s function to identify those actions most suited to the farm in drawing up the application.
The proposed maximum payment is €5,000 for eligible farmers per annum, with an additional €2,000 per annum for those in GLAS+, in return for exceptional environmental commitment. Farms identified as habitats of endangered birds, which includes the Hen Harrier, will automatically receive up to €7,000 a year, if the area managed is large enough.
Those farmers who choose the Hen Harrier must comply with the Department’s prescription for the management of hen harrier habitats, as outlined in the GLAS Specification document. The prescription must be applied across all areas identified by my Department on the holding in question, but there is no minimum area to qualify. If the area is within a designated Natura site, a Sustainable Management Plan must also be drawn up by the GLAS Adviser for the designated area in accordance with the designation for that site.
