GLAS Eligibility

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Ceisteanna (220)

Finian McGrath

Ceist:

220. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding conditions governing participation in the GLAS and achieving relevant EU objectives the reason the date by which traditional hay meadows have to be topped has been moved back to 15 March in view of the AEOS date being 15 April and, having regard to land condition in many areas in springtime, the fact that the change to 15 March will make it impossible for many farmers to meet the requirements of the new GLAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49074/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Rural Development Programme requires Member States to put in place an agri-environment measure which addresses, among other things, retention of biodiversity. In line with this the Traditional Hay Meadow action in GLAS, which attracts a payment rate of €314 per hectare, seeks to promote the maintenance of a traditional method of forage conservation that is beneficial to grassland flora and fauna and farmland birds. In order to achieve this objective, the topping date has therefore been set down as 15th March as birds may be nesting in some of these parcels after this date. After the 1st July farmers may top these parcels if they need to do so. While no specific topping date was laid down in AEOS, the meadow was to be closed off from 15th April.