Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the changes that have been made to the agri environment options scheme as announced on 26 September from previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42721/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Details of the re-opened Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS) which I announced recently with funding of €20m will be available on the Department’s website in the next day or two. The scheme will operate largely on the same basis as in previous years with the same measures and the same payment rates. However, I have also decided to introduce some new provisions. There will be a provision under the new scheme for the Grey Partridge under the Wild Bird Cover action in sites identified by NPWS in West Offaly. In addition, the existing Corncrake Measure will be available in sites in Donegal and Mayo.

The closing date for applications is 30 November and my aim is to ensure that all applications are processed with a view approving the new participants in the scheme with effect from 1 April 2013.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the hedgerow and tree elements of the agri environment options scheme have been removed under the scheme launched on 26 September 2012; the estimated numbers affected by such a move; the estimated savings from this move; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42722/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have decided that the re-opened Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS) will operate largely on the same basis as in previous years and that the same measures and rates of payment will be available, including the measures providing for hedgerow and tree planting. Details of the scheme which I announced with funding of €20m will be available on the Department’s website in the next day or two. The closing date for applications is 30 November and my aim is to ensure that all applications are processed with a view approving the new participants in the scheme with effect from 1 April 2013.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the planting requirement under previous agri environment options schemes; the details of the planting requirement; if that requirement has been satisfied; the figures he has to clarify that the requirements were satisfied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42723/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The targets for the Tree Planting Standard/Whips and the Planting of New Hedgerows measures under the agri-environmental schemes are set out in the Rural Development Programme, 2007-13. In the case of the Tree Planting Standard/Whips measure, the target is 9,043 trees. Under the 2010 and 2011 Agri-environment Options Scheme (AEOS) a total of 259,915 trees have been delivered. The target set for the Planting of New Hedgerows measure is 236,636 metres while a total of 1,270,334 metres have been delivered.