Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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656. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an assurance that a new agri environmental scheme will start in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1099/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The process for the design of new schemes under the new CAP is well underway. Under the current draft Rural Development Regulation, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine must undertake an ex ante evaluation, a public consultation, a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) a needs assessment, a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) and an appropriate assessment (AA) in developing our Rural Development Programme. An independent evaluator has been contracted to prepare the ex-ante evaluation report, SEA and AA and to advise on the SWOT analysis.

An initial consultation process was launched in 2012, and written submissions were received from over 80 stakeholders. These submissions have been analysed by my Department and have fed into the development of the SWOT and needs analyses. A second consultation was held in July, where stakeholders attended a full day workshop on the draft SWOT and needs analyses. Based on the outcome of these processes, the drafting of the new programme is being advanced in the Department, and it is intended that further stakeholder consultation will form part of this.

Yesterday I announced proposals for a new agri-environment scheme GLAS (Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme).

Formal proposals must now be drafted, in consultation with various stakeholders for submission to the European Commission. It is my intention to prioritise this work in order to gain EU approval at the earliest possible date to facilitate roll out of the new GLAS scheme.