Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to concern among farmers farming in non-designated areas who intend to apply for agri environment option scheme 3 that they will not be accepted into the scheme if sufficient applications are received from farmers in environmentally designated areas and that they will therefore be out of pocket for the cost of preparing the plan to join AEOS with no return and that this is inhibiting farmers from applying for the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51573/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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. Details of the scheme are available on the Department’s website. I expect that the funding which I have provided will facilitate the approval of some 6,000 farmers into the scheme.

The priorities for selecting applications for AEOS 3 are set out in the Scheme Terms and Conditions. Privately Owned Natura land where applicants have a minimum of 0.5 hectares of utilisable agricultural area of either Special Protection Areas or Special Areas of Conservation are ranked first in order of priority. In the event that the number of applicants in this category exceeds the funding available priority will be given to those with the largest utilisable agricultural Natura area. Priority is then given to Commonage Natura land where applicants have a minimum of 0.5 hectares of utilisable agricultural commonage area. Similarly, in the event that the number of applicants in this category exceeds the funding available priority will be given to those with the largest utilisable agricultural commonage Natura area.

It is mandatory for all these farmers to engage the services of a planner in the preparation of their applications. However farmers with no or less than 0.5 hectares of designated or commonage land do not have to engage the services of a planner and are free to complete and submit the application form without incurring the cost of a planner.