Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

149. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his Department's plans to address the difficulties faced by farmers whose lands have been designated as sanctuaries for protecting the habitat of hen harriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6621/15]

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). Ireland's draft RDP for the period 2014-2020 was submitted to the European Commission for approval in July last year and approval for the Scheme is still awaited. My officials are involved in negotiations with the Commission to expedite that approval and the Scheme will be opened as soon as possible.

The draft RDP submitted to the European Commission includes proposals for the support of Hen Harrier sites as part of the new agri-environment scheme, GLAS. Hen Harrier land is a Tier One environmental asset and applicants for GLAS whose land has been designated for hen-harrier will secure priority access to the scheme.

Discussions are now nearing completion with the European Commission on the GLAS scheme and I expect to be in a position to open the scheme in the near future.

The actual designation of the land, however, is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.