Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Renua Ireland)
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333. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department liaises with the horticultural industry on proposals or changes it makes to environmental schemes that require a change to the supply of plants and hedgerows; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36497/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new GLAS agri-environmental scheme includes a number of actions that relate to the planting of trees or hedgerows. In advance of the decision to include these actions, my Department consulted in the first instance with the Forest Service to secure best advice for planting and to ensure that appropriate conditions in relation to species and provenance are applied.

The first tranche of GLAS proved hugely successful attracting nearly 27,000 applications in all. On the basis of the commitments provided in the plans submitted with each of those applications, it is clear that we have met or exceeded our targets for the full RDP period in a number of areas. These include the planting of new hedgerows and traditional orchards. Given that these targets have been met in full it is proposed to suspend both actions for Tranche 2 of GLAS. In taking that decision, my Department has again consulted with the Forest Service on the availability of stock, and has also spoken directly with several suppliers. On foot of applications received under Tranche 1 alone, some 1,300 km of new hedgerows will be planted over the coming year or so, requiring the provision of 8 million plants, which will be a major boost to the sector.

I should point out that these actions have simply been suspended for Tranche 2, not discontinued. I will review the position again for Tranche 3 in the light of uptake of remaining GLAS actions.