Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 March 2016
187. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he continues to assess and process tier 3 applications under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5006/16]
View answerThe assessment and processing of GLAS Tranche 2 (GLAS 2) applications was undertaken by my Department in January 2016.
The unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme meant that for GLAS 2, priority was given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. those who either manage key environmental assets like endangered birds, protected habitats or high-quality water courses, or who have committed to undertake particularly valuable environmental actions like growing feed-crops for wild birds, adopting low-impact tillage techniques or using low-emission slurry spreading methods. In addition all GLAS 2 applications from new entrants to farming in 2015, and from new farm partnerships, have been granted priority access under this round, because of difficulties they had in applying under GLAS 1. This includes applications by new entrants or partnerships from Tier 3.
All other Tier 3 applications were not selected into the Scheme and the decision letters in respect of these cases have issued to applicants. A third tranche of GLAS will open later this year and any applicant who was unsuccessful this time round has the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan in consultation with their advisor and see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3.
