Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 261: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider amending the terms and conditions of the agri environment options scheme to make them more flexible and allow for a more practical approach when dealing with the criteria attached to the scheme, in order to make the scheme more workable for farmers and allow agricultural consultants or planners make amendments where appropriate in respect of the scheme. [22559/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Agri-environment Options Scheme is designed to protect biodiversity, encourage water management/quality and contribute to climate change. The scheme provides for a considerable degree of flexibility in achieving these objectives and farmers to may implement measures from a range or menu of options which are best suited to their own circumstances. Participants in AEOS have been approved on the basis of the information contained in their application forms. The Terms & Conditions of the scheme were available to applicants when applications to join the scheme were prepared and must now be complied with. Where obvious errors have been found by my Department in the processing of applications, participants have been allowed to make amendments to rectify the position. Other amendments fall outside the scheme Terms and Conditions and cannot be permitted.