Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received for tanche 2 of green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; the number of applicants from each tier who have been informed of their acceptance into the scheme, with contracts commencing on 1 January 2016; the average annual payment approved for these applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3612/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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GLAS 2, the second tranche of the Green Low-carbon Agri-Environment Scheme, closed for submission of applications in mid December. A total of 14,041 applications were successfully submitted before the deadline.

My Department has completed its assessment of all applications in line with the requirements set out in the scheme Terms and Conditions and, as I announced earlier today , I am very pleased to say that a further 11,500 farmers will be approved to join GLAS under this tranche. All will have a 1 January commencement date. This brings the total number of farmers in the Scheme to some 38,000 - a record number of entrants to an agri-environment scheme in a single year. The unprecedented level of interest represents a huge endorsement of the new Scheme by Irish farmers and delivers on this Government’s commitment to implementing an accessible agri-environment scheme which recognises the critical role played by Irish farmers in protecting and enhancing our natural resources. Formal letters of approval are issuing to successful applicants this week.

The very high demand for the new Scheme means that priority is being given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, as required under the Rural Development Programme. Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates are those who either manage key environmental assets like endangered birds, protected habitats or high-quality water courses, or who have committed to undertake particularly valuable environmental actions like growing feed-crops for wild birds, adopting low-impact tillage techniques or using low-emission slurry spreading methods.  Farmers had been urged to present the highest standard environmental plans under GLAS 2, and to adopt actions that would promote them to Tier 2 or even Tier 1 status and I am delighted that so many have opted to do so. Applications from 7,097 Tier 1 candidates were received and 6,746 of these are being approved immediately, with the balance under review. For Tier 2, a total of 4,198 applications were received and 3,975 of these are being approved immediately, with the balance similarly under review.

I can also confirm that all GLAS 2 applications from new entrants to farming in 2015, and from new farm partnerships, are being granted priority access under this round, including applications by Tier 3 candidates. These are applicants who had been unable to apply under GLAS 1, for technical reasons, and I am very happy to be able to accommodate these farmers under this round. In terms of the average value of contracts, it is not possible to establis h this accurately until payment claims are submitted as part of the 2016 Basic Payment Scheme process, and pre-payment validations are completed.

A further tranche of the Scheme will be launched in the Autumn, and those who were unsuccessful this time round will be free to apply again, or indeed to upgrade their applications to increase their chance of success. The progress to date on GLAS leaves me in no doubt that our total target of 50,000 participants will be met in this third tranche of the Scheme.