Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 April 2018
17. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the rules regarding the start and end dates for grazing and cutting of traditional hay meadow under GLAS will be relaxed to accommodate farmers in areas in which grass is only starting to grow and in areas in which hay meadow may be ready to cut before 1 July 2018 should good weather allow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18210/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe GLAS scheme surpassed the original target of 50,000 participants well ahead of the targeted date - such is the popularity of the scheme. Given that the first approvals under the scheme run from 1 October 2015 it is a remarkable achievement to have exceeded this target within a period of 15 months.
GLAS, like previous agri-environment schemes supports participants in improving their agricultural productivity and practices in a sustainable manner. The scheme delivers overarching benefits to the rural environment and also addressed the issues of the mitigation of the impacts of climate change, the enhancement of biodiversity and the improvement of water quality. The scheme provides valuable support to participants who deliver public goods and environmental benefits that enhance the sustainability credentials of Irish agriculture.
The scheme is co-funded by the National Exchequer and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. As required under EU regulation two payments issue in respect of each year – the advance payment, followed at a later stage by the balancing payment.
Payment for the grazing and cutting of Traditional Hay Meadow under GLAS has been justified, in the promotion of maintaining a traditional method of forage conservation that is beneficial to grassland flora and fauna. My priority is to ensure that farmers continue to qualify to receive payment of €315 per hectare for this action.
In order to alleviate the current forage supply problem, one of the initiatives put in place is an an extension to the closing date for grazing livestock on land containing the Traditional Hay Meadow action under the scheme and grazing by livestock is now permitted up to 1st May this year. It is not possible to bring forward the cutting date as seed dispersal is a key requirement to maintain species diversity.
It is important that that we recognise what the scheme is delivering in terms of the environment and public goods. It is also important to recognise the buy in to the scheme by the farming community in achieving, and in some instances surpassing, the targets set out in the RDP. It is to all our benefit that we deliver in real terms including:
- The Low Input Permanent Pasture and the Traditional Hay Meadow actions which are delivering over 350,000 hectare of diverse grassland species.
and also:
- 29,000 kilometres of river bank managed to protect rivers from pollution under the Protection of Watercourses from Bovines and Riparian Margins actions
- Over 200,000 hectares of farmland bird habitat managed to protect bird species
- Over 20,000 hectares of Wild Bird Cover planted providing winter feed for farmland birds
- Over 2m trees planted
- Almost 5,000 farmers using new technologies to spread slurry
- 10,000 hectare of arable land cultivated using Minimum Tillage techniques.
These achievements will deliver public goods across the key areas of Water Quality, Biodiversity and Climate Change and deliver real public goods for the wider society.
