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

17. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he expects that the GLAS scheme will open for applications; the expected date of the approval of these applications; the expected pay-out to farmers under this scheme in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42804/14]

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

GLAS (the Green Low-carbon Agri-environment Scheme) is part of a suite of proposed measures under the new Rural Development Programme (RDP) which was submitted to the European Commission in July. The Commission services have recently notified us of their observations on the draft Scheme and my Department is this week providing responses to the Commission with a view to gaining approval at the earliest possible date. Once approval is granted, my Department will move to open the Scheme for applications. I would hope to be able to do so before the end of the year, but this is entirely dependent on approval being secured in time from the EU. I can only make final decisions in this regard when I have EU approval to hand.

GLAS is designed around core requirements which all applicants must satisfy. A tiered approach is being applied to entry into the Scheme and the tiers are based on a consideration of priority environmental assets and actions, with those in Tier One receiving priority access to the scheme. I anticipate that between 25,000 and 30,000 farmers could be approved for entry to GLAS next year and it will take some time to process those applications. As with the introduction of previous agri-environmental schemes, payment in the first year of application will be on a part-year basis, paying up to 75% of what is due before the end of 2015. I anticipate that payments of some €20m will issue for GLAS in 2015, depending on numbers approved and date of approval.