Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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303. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason graduates in agri-environmental science from UCD are excluded from working as planners for GLAS as that particular course specialises in land management, habitat management and sustainable green agriculture; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2784/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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EU Regulations governing the Direct Payment Schemes requires my Department to operate a Farm Advisory System (FAS) to provide advice to farmers on a range of issues relating to land and farm management. The regulations require that advisors are suitably qualified and regularly trained. In addition, in order to be approved as a GLAS Advisor, an advisor must also be an approved FAS advisor. In determining the level of educational qualifications required to be a FAS/GLAS advisor, my Department must ensure that such qualifications are of an appropriate standard to meet the objectives and the requirements of the various schemes, and the associated governing legislation, on which advice is being provided. Advisors must be qualified to interpret soil tests, understand the requirements of all schemes and understand constraints of land management imposed by various land designations. Furthermore, advisors must be in a position to translate this knowledge into detailed management plans and also advice for farmers not only on the schemes requirements but also on their farm operations.

In order to ensure that advisors meet the requirements outlined above, my Department requires that all advisors must have attained a FETAC Level 8 Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science/Land Management in Agriculture and must have taken soil science and an animal or crop production subject to a level 8 degree standard.

The Agri-Environmental Science degree provided in UCD is considered eligible under the FAS/GLAS educational qualifications requirements provided that graduates have undertaken soil science and an animal or crop production subject as core subjects of this degree programme.

Advisors wishing to become a FAS/GLAS advisor must submit to my Department a copy of their qualifications, including a full transcript, to ensure that the required standard has been attained.