Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 March 2015
122. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is precluded by European Union regulation from making payments under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme for five years to commonage farmers who join the scheme, after the first person in the commonage joins it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9730/15]
View answerI am pleased to say that following discussions with the EU Commission, it has been agreed that where an eligible shareholder decides to join an existing GLAS Commonage Management Plan after it has been set up, he or she will still benefit from a full five years’ payments. Shareholders may join a pre-existing Commonage Management Plan up to Year 3 of that Plan and, provided that they continue with their own individual commitments on the commonage after the main plan has expired, they can continue to draw GLAS payment up the end of their own contracts.
