Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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185. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will accept tier 3 applicants under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5004/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme has meant that for GLAS 2, priority was given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. 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 from Tier 3 to a higher tier, thereby significantly increasing the chance of selection. I am delighted that over 80% of applicants in this second tranche of GLAS opted to do so, and with the funding available to me I have been able to approve all of these.

In addition all GLAS 2 applications from new entrants to farming in 2015, and from new farm partnerships, have been granted priority access under this round, because of difficulties they had in applying under GLAS 1. This includes applications by new entrants or partnerships from Tier 3. All other Tier 3 GLAS 2 applications have not been selected into the Scheme.

A third tranche of GLAS will open later this year and any applicant who was unsuccessful this time round has the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan in consultation with their advisor and see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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186. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason tier 3 applicants were refused under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme and if their applications will stand for a future round of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5005/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme has meant that for the second tranche of GLAS (GLAS 2), priority was given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. 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 from Tier 3 to a higher tier, thereby significantly increasing the chance of selection. I am delighted that over 80% of applicants in this second tranche of GLAS opted to do so, and with the funding available to me I have been able to approve all of these.

In addition all GLAS 2 applications from new entrants to farming in 2015, and from new farm partnerships, have been granted priority access under this round, because of difficulties they had in applying under GLAS 1. This includes applications by new entrants or partnerships from Tier 3. However all other Tier 3 applications were not selected into the Scheme.

A third tranche of GLAS (GLAS 3) will open later this year and any applicant who was unsuccessful this time round has the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan in consultation with their advisor and see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3. A new application will have to be submitted in respect of GLAS 3 when the scheme is opened.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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187. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he continues to assess and process tier 3 applications under the green low-carbon agri-environment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5006/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The assessment and processing of GLAS Tranche 2 (GLAS 2) applications was undertaken by my Department in January 2016. The unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme meant that for GLAS 2, priority was given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. 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.  In addition all GLAS 2 applications from new entrants to farming in 2015, and from new farm partnerships, have been granted priority access under this round, because of difficulties they had in applying under GLAS 1. This includes applications by new entrants or partnerships from Tier 3.

All other Tier 3 applications were not selected into the Scheme and the decision letters in respect of these cases have issued to applicants. A third tranche of GLAS will open later this year and any applicant who was unsuccessful this time round has the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan in consultation with their advisor and see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3.