Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
846. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if GLAS participants received two extra years payment whereas AOS participants did not receive extra payments on their scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11316/22]
View answerThe Agri- Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) was introduced in 2010 and ran until 2018 under four separate tranches. The Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) was launched in 2015, under Ireland's Rural Development Programme 2014-2020, as the successor to AEOS. All participants in AEOS were offered the opportunity to join GLAS.
A series of information meetings was held at the launch of GLAS in 2015 and attendees were informed of details of the scheme including the option to transfer to GLAS. Information on the option to move from AEOS to GLAS was also provided by Department staff at various fora.
As negotiations on the new Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), which had been due to commence on 1st January 2021, had not been concluded, a successor scheme was not in place when contracts entered into under Tranches 1 and 2 of GLAS were due to expire on 31st December 2020. An extension of those contracts was offered to active participants for a 12 month period (to 31st December 2021) under the same RDP so that participants would continue to undertake GLAS actions and accordingly be eligible to receive payment in respect of those actions.
As the new CAP regulation was not published until December 2021 and a successor scheme could not have been offered by end 2021, a further 12 month extension was offered to active participants whose GLAS contracts were due to expire on 31st December 2021. This cohort now included participants in all three tranches in GLAS.
Those participants who entered GLAS in Tranches 1 and 2, who accepted offer to extend their contracts for a second year, may potentially receive payment in respect of the two additional years, subject to satisfactorily undertaking their GLAS actions for the duration of the extension period.
