Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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521. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date in preparing commonage plans for the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; the latest date for the completion of these plans; if farmers with commonage can expect a payment in 2015 under the GLAS scheme for their commonages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31370/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to say that GLAS Commonage Advisors have already been appointed to 1,800 Commonages, while appointments to the remainder will be made very shortly. Where Commonage Advisors have been appointed, preparation of commonage management plans can commence and I am aware that fieldwork has already been carried out in many cases. In addition, some 200 applications were in respect of commonages under 10 hectares in area, and these do not require the appointment of a single Commonage Advisor; in all such cases, applicants are free to draw up individual plans. The over-riding objective here is to ensure that the best quality plans are prepared and with that in mind I continue to monitor the situation carefully, particularly with regard to the setting of realistic deadlines for the completion of Commonage Management Plans. Where it is clear that real progress is being made, it is my intention to ensure that payments are made to the commonage farmers concerned this year.