Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it will be a condition of the GLAS scheme traditional hay meadow option that farmers will have to top the meadows by 15 March each year; his plans to allow any leeway on this in years of adverse weather conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3048/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Farmers opting for the traditional hay meadow action under the proposed new GLAS scheme will be required to respect the management requirements set out in the Agri-Environment Specifications. One of the requirements is that parcels declared for this action must not be topped after the 15th March. As has been my practice in the past, should adverse weather conditions occur I will consider the matter at the appropriate time.