Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When the Minister announced the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme, GLAS, he said it was targeted, between 2014 and 2020, on reaching 50,000 farmers at an average payment of €5,000, and when he launched the first tranche of the scheme, he said it would reach 30,000 farmers at a payment €5,000. He mentioned repeatedly the figure of €5,000. It appears as if there could be a 25% shortfall in the expenditure on the first tranche of the scheme. The Minister announced a second tranche of the scheme but he has cut that back severely. Is he satisfied he will achieve his target of reaching 50,000 farmers at an average payment of €5,000? I presume he will increase the number to 60,000 if the average payment is less than that figure. Will he advise why there are these cutbacks so early in the scheme which will hurt farmers?

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