Michael Comiskey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My question relates to the question put by my colleague, Senator Ó Domhnaill. Some years ago a very good REP scheme operated in Ireland and that helped many farmers who were farming in disadvantaged areas on land with designations such as SACs and NHAs. I understand there is a proposal going to the Commission for a new scheme, GLAS, and it would be very important that the maximum number of farmers would be allowed to join it. It is very important to encourage farmers to continue to farm in the hilly areas, which is most of the west and mountainous areas throughout the country. This scheme will be operated under Pillar 2, which was referred to earlier, and I would like more information on the breadth of the scheme.