Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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141. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason it is proposed in the context of GLAS to give priority to farmers who are classified as more intensive as opposed to those who are classified as less intensive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26356/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The governing regulations identify key priorities that must be addressed in the design of the mandatory agri-environment measure under the terms of the new Rural Development Programme. These include Halting Biodiversity Decline, Maintaining Water Quality and Combating Climate Change. A balance between these priorities must be delivered and the proposals for GLAS reflect an appropriate response to achieving those objectives and securing EU approval for the scheme. Intensive farmers are included in Tier One of GLAS for priority access to the scheme on condition that they undertake certain prescribed actions; however, the vast majority of places in Tier One will be allocated to non-intensive farmers.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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142. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a commonage farmer will not be prioritised for participation in GLAS if he-she cannot get agreement of either more than 50% or 80% of the other shareholders of the commonage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26357/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A key element of the new strategy for managing commonages under GLAS is the development of a collective approach, where the majority of shareholders come together to manage the land in the best interests of the broader environment. GLAS is an environmental scheme and all measures proposed under that scheme must make a clear contribution towards better environmental management of agricultural land. I have proposed a two tier system for awarding commonage owners prioritised access to GLAS: top priority will be given to those who can achieve 80% or more participation in the collective, but if a minimum of just 50% participation can be secured, that will guarantee second-tier access to the scheme. I believe this concession, which I introduced last month, will significantly ease the burden of securing agreements, while at the same time providing a critical mass for management of the commonage, which can be expanded upon in future years. Critical mass is the key thing to be achieved here; we need sufficient people working together to achieve the best results for these commonages, and ensure their preservation into the future in the interests of both the farming community and the environment. Below 50% participation in the collective, I do not believe that the required critical mass is achieved.