Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's response on the availability of hedgerow plants rings fairly hollow. Similar to the issue with the low input permanent pasture, his main approach here is based on the fact that the uptake is high. There is no reason to change the low input permanent pasture. Unfortunately, the impact will be that, particularly for smaller farmers in my county of Donegal, many farmers who under tranche one were able to achieve the full €5,000 payment under this environmental scheme will now only be able to achieve €3,000 largely because the Minister is removing the low input permanent pasture measure.

In many ways GLAS has been a disappointment to some farmers in that it was not what was expected. However, the Minister is making this change without any prior notification affecting farmers who have been waiting for tranche two for various reasons, some of which relate to the confusion the Minister caused over the commonage issue, which affected 40% of farmers in County Donegal. Initially he wanted 80% to sign up to a commonage grazing plan. The plan then became 50% and now it is a guideline.

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