Brian Walsh (Galway West, Independent)
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105. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine ,further to Parliamentary Question No. 248 of 30 September 2014, if the additional costs associated with the preparation of a single commonage management plan justify the variance between GLAS rates applicable to privately-owned Natura and commonage, given that non-commonage landowners also require the services of a planner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42676/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The agri-environment scheme GLAS is one of the schemes included in Ireland’s draft Rural Development Programme which is currently being considered by the European Commission. The costings for all GLAS actions are based on income forgone, the cost of compliance and transaction costs. A higher rate of payment per hectare for commonage land has been proposed in order to cover the additional costs associated with both the preparation and implementation of a single Commonage Management Plan. This plan has to be drawn up for the entire commonage, by a single agricultural advisor, and it requires the shareholders grazing the commonage to work together to deliver its objectives over a five year period. The extra effort involved, and additional overhead in terms of planning, is reflected in the proposed commonage payment rate.