Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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502. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps required in submitting a successful application for the GLAS traditional farm buildings scheme; if the employment of specialist contractors such as builders is a condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35941/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The GLAS traditional farm building scheme is jointly funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the European Union and is administered by the Heritage Council on behalf of the Department.

Grants awarded will not exceed 75% of the cost of the works with a maximum grant of €25,000 and a minimum grant of €4,000 being made.  The first tranche closed in May 2016. Further applications will be invited at regular intervals throughout the Programming period to end December 2020.

The application form and all other documents on the new GLAS Traditional Farm Building Scheme can be downloaded from the Heritage Council website www.heritagecouncil.ie or by contacting the  Heritage Council directly at Church Lane, Kilkenny.  Phone +353(0)56 777 0777.

Applicants must submit a fully completed application form, including photographs, a map and a quotation for the proposed works, by the closing date for the Tranche in order to ensure that their application can be examined by the Assessment Panel.  This is a very competitive grant scheme and applications are reviewed and scored against the agreed, published, selection criteria.  The highest ranking projects are then selected for grant aid.

All farmers who are approved for grant assistance must employ a conservation consultant to provide advice, oversee the works and certify on completion.  However, successful grantees need not necessarily employ specialist contractors to carry out the work. Up-skilling for the farmers themselves is an important objective of the scheme, as is supporting farmers’ own labour in carrying out any works wherever possible.