Mr. Colm O'Donnell:

Deputy McConalogue asked why the uptake was so low on the commonage management plan option under GLAS.

By the time first application for GLAS 1 finished, there was a push to get as many plans as possible over the line. There were 2,700 out of a possible 4,500 in there but when the actual numbers were approved for the scheme, the percentage of commonages that were included was, unfortunately, low, partly due to the fact that there were insufficient planners who were skilled enough to take on this work. This work took in the old commonage framework plan, botanists and environmentalists. It took 600 people about two years to compile those commonage framework plans. It must be sustainable and done properly. The fact that Farm Relief Services, FRS, was granted a lot of these plans in block and has now backed out has left some farmers in limbo like the 400 referred to. I accept that the Department is working to try to get around this. We do not sit on that charter of rights at the moment. We are a new organisation and hope that the committee recommends that we get a seat on it.