Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will reinstate the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme which was cut by 50% given that this is directly penalising good farmers who wish to join; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36736/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the change to the Low Input Permanent Pasture requirement for Tranche 2 of GLAS.

On the basis of the plans submitted for the 27,000 applications received under Tranche 1 of GLAS, it is clear that we have already met or exceeded our targets for the entire RDP period for the Low Input Permanent Pasture action. For this reason, it is proposed to adjust the provision for the Low Input Permanent Pasture (LIPP) action under the second tranche of GLAS, given that we have already met all our targets. As things stand, over 20% of the entire budget for GLAS will be directed towards payments of this one action. However, it will still be possible to take a combination of up to 10 hectares of LIPP or Traditional Hay Meadow as before, but for Tranche 2 the LIPP component will be limited to 5 hectares. Instead, I would like to see more farmers avail of the Traditional Hay Meadow option, which attracts the same rate of payment.

There are plenty of options within GLAS from which farmers can choose, but it should be remembered that priority must always be given to Tier 1 applications, i.e. applications from farmers with Priority Environmental Assets like Natura land, endangered birds, high status watercourses, commonages etc. Amongst the other changes I have made for Tranche 2 are a number which provide for greater flexibility in these areas and I expect that significant numbers of Tier 1 applications will be received in the next tranche.