Written answers

Thursday, 5 March 2015

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

GLAS Administration

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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126. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the special arrangements put in place under the green low-carbon agri-environmental scheme for farmers farming land designated as a special protection area in order to preserve the hen harrier; the maximum amount of hectares they can receive under the scheme or GLAS+; the maximum payments to which they will be entitled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9737/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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GLAS will be the main source of support under my Department for farmers with Hen Harrier habitat on their holding. Hen Harrier land is a Tier One Priority Environmental Asset and any farmer with identified habitat will secure priority access to the scheme. The payment rate for Hen Harrier is €370 per hectare, and all identified land must be brought into GLAS. While the maximum annual payment to any farmer under GLAS is €5,000, I have decided that Hen Harrier farmers will automatically qualify for GLAS+, without the normal requirement for a second Priority Environmental Asset. This allows the total annual payment to increase to as much as €7,000, if the farmer manages 19 hectares or more of Hen Harrier habitat.

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