Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2015
271. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6825/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new rules referred to apply on a number of GLAS actions, including Low Input Permanent Pasture, and the over-riding concern is to protect farmland birds, whose nesting period commences from early March onwards.
However, the Draft GLAS Specification allows topping to take place any time from 15th July to 15th March. This is in fact a relaxation of the rules which applied previously under AEOS, where topping could not take place on parcels in receipt of the similar AEOS Species Rich Grassland payment until after 15th July up until the end of the year in question. The relaxation of the rules for GLAS is specifically designed to help with areas of marginal land where rushes may be prevalent and need to be topped early in the year.
