Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
1162. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers who are currently enrolled in environmental schemes; the number who will be out of contract at the end of 2021; the number who will be able to reapply to another environmental scheme in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51984/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails regarding the numbers of farmers who are currently enrolled in environmental schemes as requested by the Deputy are as follows:
BDGP
BDGP was made available in 2015 with contracts available up to 2020. Extensions to the programme are available in 2021 and 2022. The current participation in the programme is 17,669 herds.
REAP
REAP is a pilot project designed to test the results-based model in an agri-environment context. The project will explore the potential of upscaling the model as part of the next national agri-environment scheme to follow on from GLAS. REAP opened for applications in April 2021 with participants approved for the two year period of this pilot project, 2021 and 2022.
|
Participants |
Current date of Completion of contract |
|
3,748 |
31 December 2022 |
GLAS
GLAS was made available in October 2015 and consisted of three tranches, with contracts under the first two tranches extended last year to 31st December 2021. The breakdown (at September 2021) of active participants per tranche is as follows:
|
Tranche |
Participants |
Current date of Completion of contract |
|
GLAS1 |
22,780 |
31 December 2021 |
|
GLAS2 |
10,032 |
31 December 2021 |
|
GLAS3 |
12,757 |
31 December 2021 |
|
45,569 |
There would therefore be potentially c.45,600 eligible for an offer for extension this year.
Organic Farming Scheme
|
Status |
Participants |
|
Currently enrolled |
1,711 |
|
Out of Contract end of 2021 |
1,385 |
Straw Incorporation Measure
|
Status |
Participants |
|
Currently enrolled* |
1,879 |
*As this is a one-year scheme all are out of contract at the end of 2021.
Terms and conditions for any new scheme being introduced in 2022 would be unique to that individual scheme. This will include the eligibility criteria that each applicant would need to meet to participate.
