Skip to main content
Normal View

GLAS Applications

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 April 2016

Thursday, 14 April 2016

Questions (196)

Seán Kyne

Question:

196. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on an application by a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; why this application was not successful; if, in deciding on the application, he considered that the person was previously a participant under the agri-environment options scheme, does not have tier 1 lands and is a small farmer situated in a disadvantaged area; if he will consider another scheme for such persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6552/16]

View answer

Written answers

An application for Tranche 2 of the GLAS Scheme for the person named was received on the dedicated GLAS online system on the 7 December 2015. The unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme has meant that for GLAS 2, priority is being 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. 

Farmers had been urged to present the highest standard environmental plans under GLAS 2, and to adopt actions that would promote them from Tier 3 to a higher tier, thereby significantly increasing the chance of selection. Over 80% of applicants in this second tranche of GLAS opted to do so, and with the funding available were approved.

An applicant’s previous participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme is not considered as part of the selection process for GLAS applications.

As the application for the person named was ranked as a Tier 3 application it was not selected into the scheme.

A third tranche of GLAS (GLAS 3) will open later this year and the person named and any applicant who was unsuccessful in the second tranche will have 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.

Top
Share