Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 October 2018
225. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht when the national policy decision was taken not to administer separate payments to farmers in both the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, farm plan scheme and GLAS. [41682/18]
View answerFor clarity I note that my Department wrote to the Deputy in April 2018 advising that the current policy is that participation in both GLAS and the NPWS farm plan scheme simultaneously is not allowed, but that where on occasion specific additional requirements are necessary, provision can be made for an additional payment in respect of the additional requirement, on the proviso that double funding does not arise.
This approach has been operational since the NPWS farm plan scheme was first launched in 2006, when the NPWS scheme was targeted at farmers not in REPS, and was based on consultations between the then Departments of Agriculture and Food, and Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
