Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

774. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if farmers with a commonage will receive a payment in 2016 under GLAS plus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26492/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The GLAS scheme provides for maximum basic payment of €5,000 per annum to applicants on the basis of the range and quantity of environmental actions they deliver as part of their GLAS plan.  In addition, GLAS applicants who are managing high priority environmental assets,  known as Priority Environmental Assets (PEAs),may receive an additional  payment of up to €2,000, called GLAS Plus. 

To qualify for GLAS Plus applicants must have more than one PEA, unless the PEA is a farmland bird which alone confers eligibility for GLAS Plus. The annual cost of addressing these PEAs must exceed €5,000 up to a maximum of €7,000. 

As Commonage is categorised as a PEA under GLAS, applicants delivering on  Commonage and another PEA with a combined value in excess of €5,000 will be eligible to receive a GLAS plus payment of up to €2,000, subject to a maximum payment for each individual PEA of €5,000. 

It is intended that all applications which pass the regulatory checks in respect of 2016 GLAS payments will be processed before the end of 2016.