Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 October 2015
29. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide up-to-date figures for applications under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, with particular reference to counties Galway and Mayo; and how commonage plans as part of the scheme are progressing. [34202/15]
View answerAlmost 27,000 applications to join GLAS were received under the first tranche of the new scheme this year, making this one of the most successful launches of any agri-environment scheme ever in Ireland. All applications are now being assessed and applicants will be notified in writing in October of the outcome of their application and of their contract commencement date. A total of 3,250 applications were received for Galway and 2,681 applications for Mayo. A full breakdown of the applications received is supplied in the following table:
|
County |
Submitted |
|
Carlow |
299 |
|
Cavan |
961 |
|
Clare |
1684 |
|
Cork |
2347 |
|
Donegal |
2043 |
|
Dublin |
66 |
|
Galway |
3250 |
|
Kerry |
1853 |
|
Kildare |
305 |
|
Kilkenny |
473 |
|
Laois |
393 |
|
Leitrim |
1067 |
|
Limerick |
1130 |
|
Longford |
536 |
|
Louth |
160 |
|
Mayo |
2681 |
|
Meath |
481 |
|
Monaghan |
611 |
|
Offaly |
505 |
|
Roscommon |
1585 |
|
Sligo |
978 |
|
Tipperary |
1233 |
|
Waterford |
393 |
|
Westmeath |
680 |
|
Wexford |
859 |
|
Wicklow |
362 |
|
' |
26935 |
I am pleased to say that GLAS Commonage Advisors have already been appointed to 1,800 Commonages, while appointments to the remainder will be made very shortly. Where Commonage Advisors have been appointed, preparation of commonage management plans can commence and I am aware that fieldwork has already been carried out in many cases. In addition, some 200 applications were in respect of commonages under 10 hectares in area, and these do not require the appointment of a single Commonage Advisor; in all such cases, applicants are free to draw up individual plans with their own advisor.
