Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of questions about the GLAS scheme. Can the witnesses give us some information about the deadlines? It was opening on 1 December but there was some talk it might be January. When would be the closing deadline? Is there any certainty on that?
With regard to the Department not having control of the commonage, it was said that Teagasc and the ACA felt they could look after it. Since then I have seen comments from Teagasc people that they are not going to get involved at all. I am concerned about that. It was said the Department might have to go back to them. Is it going to go and see if Teagasc is still of that view? If this is the case, there needs to be Department involvement and control in relation to the commonage plans. In regard to those who are currently in AEOS1, 2 and 3, do they count towards the 50%?
I agree with Dr. Smyth that we cannot keep the status quoin regard to under-grazing but the point I am making is that if we are reducing the forage area, we are effectively saying that commonage can take less stock. On land where farmers were allowed to put 20 livestock units, if the forage area is reduced by half, they would only able to put on 10 livestock units. This means that the Department is exacerbating the under-grazing situation. What it should be doing is maintaining the forage areas but ensuring that there is a minimum stocking and that the farmers have to prove that they have the stock. If the forage area is reduced, that impacts upon the level of stock that the farmers can put on the farm. It could have serious consequences for habitat status and could cause a greater level of scrubbing up. This could reduce the habitat potential of the commonages and cause infringements of both habitat and birds directives.