Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 April 2016
206. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why an application by a person (details supplied) in County Clare was refused under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6595/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor both GLAS 1 and GLAS 2 priority was 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. An application for Tranche 1 of the GLAS Scheme for the person named was received on the dedicated GLAS online system on the 20 May 2015. The application was ranked as a Tier 3 application, scoring 13.50 which was below the minimum required pass mark of 16.30 and it was therefore unsuccessful for admission to the scheme. It should be noted that the Tier 3 pass mark of 16.30 was set before the GLAS 1 application closing date so advisors and applicants were aware of the pass mark before submitting their applications.
For Tranche 2 of the GLAS Scheme, an application for the person named was received on the dedicated GLAS online system on the 13 December 2015.
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.
As the GLAS 2 application for the person named was ranked as a Tier 3 application and it was not selected into GLAS 2.
A third tranche of GLAS (GLAS 3) will open later this year. Any applicant who was previously unsuccessful has the opportunity to re-examine their proposed farm-plan, in consultation with their advisor, with a view to improving the plan to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3 and to submit a new application for GLAS 3 when the scheme is opened.
