GLAS Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 July 2015

Thursday, 2 July 2015

Questions (113)

Dara Calleary

Question:

113. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has considered permitting commonage farmers signed up to the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme to be only held accountable for their individual actions, considering the collective penalty scenario currently in operation for commonage farmers whereby if a baseline breach occurs and it cannot be attributed to any one farmer, then penalties of up to 100% will apply to all farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26763/15]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Commonage payments have increased significantly from €75 per hectare under AEOS to €120 per hectare under the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) and are calculated on the basis of income foregone and the cost of compliance with delivery of the GLAS action. Payments are advanced on the basis of the land being farmed to environmentally sustainable standards for the duration of the GLAS contract. In order for such payments to be made, they must exceed the baseline eligibility requirements that apply under the Basic Payment Scheme.

I have already made it clear that where failure occurs at individual level, the relevant penalty arising will be applied individually. For example, if a shareholder fails to reach the individual targets set for him or her in the Commonage Management Plan, then it is he or she who suffers the penalty. However, where a breach is found that cannot be attributed to any one shareholder the sanction, if any, will be applied to all shareholders in GLAS. Any such sanction will be proportionate to the breach found.