Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), grant aid is payable upon activation of an eligible hectare per payment entitlement held. In general terms an eligible hectare is one that is used for an agricultural activity. If the exploration/drilling exercise results in a reduction in the area available to the person named for a farming activity, they will have to make the appropriate deduction to the claimed area on their annual Basic Payment Scheme application.

GLAS is not a whole farm scheme and farmers are paid to deliver selected commitments on specific land parcels.  It is open to the GLAS participant concerned to contact the Department directly with full details of the works proposed. Any assessment of the proposal would have to take into account the extent of the exploratory works and the nature of the GLAS commitments on which such proposed works are to be carried out.