Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is something the Deputy has raised regularly in the past. I accept the importance of ensuring that the income stream from environmental schemes, which has been very important for farmers, continues. In addition, there are the environmental outcomes and contributions to biodiversity and we do not want to see a missed opportunity to ensure those outcomes continue. Certainly, it is my objective to ensure that we have a continuation into next year for those who are coming out of GLAS and that we do not have gaps as they emerge. I am looking at the options for how we do that and also at the programme for Government commitment to the introduction of a new scheme and how a pilot scheme would look.

11 o’clock

The basic objective is to ensure a continuation for those coming out of GLAS in order that they will continue to be in an environmental scheme and be in a position to receive the income generated by that.

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