Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 546: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of weather conditions to date in Summer 2012, if he will consider allowing a derogation for the cutting of traditional hay meadows under the agri-environment options scheme AEOS 2 2011 subsequent to 1 July rather than 15 July recognising that this environmental principle has been previously applied in extending the slurry spreading date and recognising that 1 July is the date that applied to AEOS 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31827/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The specifications for the 2011 Agri-Enviroment Options Scheme (AEOS) state that traditional hay meadows may not be cut until after 15 July. The objective of this measure is to contribute to halting biodiversity. An applicant receives payment of €314 per hectare per calendar year for each year of the 5 year AEOS contract for undertaking this measure. All 2011 AEOS applicants were aware of the terms and conditions and specifications of the scheme prior to entering the scheme.

The 2011 AEOS introduced a number of amendments to the 2010 scheme, including changes to the traditional hay meadows measure. In that case, the cutting date was changed from 1 July to the 15 July to ensure a greater impact on improving biodiversity. The management of traditional hay meadows allows a maximum application of 30kgs of fertiliser per hectare which would not give an excessive crop requiring early cutting. With ground trafficability currently difficult due to the recent weather conditions, my view is that to allow the cutting of hay after July 1 would be of no advantage to the scheme participants.