Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I announced details of the new GLAS (Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme) on 14 January 2014 as part of a suite of proposed measures under the new Rural Development Programme. GLAS will provide significant funding to farmers who undertake environmental actions in line with national and EU environmental objectives. It will contribute to the overall public good and will build on the success of previous agri-environment schemes.

Stakeholder consultation has been a central element in the development of the new RDP, and has been ongoing for almost a year. The most recently completed stakeholder consultation centred on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). As part of this process I published a consultation document on the new Rural Development Programme, which sets out the range of proposed measures in considerable detail, including GLAS.

I am now moving to finalise the detail of GLAS, and the various other measures included in the RDP, and I will be making full details available, including relevant payment rates, very shortly. I envisage that GLAS will be operational for 2015.