Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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404. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the grass-cutting date on traditional hay meadows under the GLAS scheme will be brought forward to allow farmers to avail of the good weather to save fodder. [28811/18]

Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein)
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405. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if flexibility will be provided for grass cutting by farmers on the GLAS scheme to allow them to cut hay before 1 July 2018 in view of the fact that weather conditions are most suitable. [28840/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 404 and 405 together.

The Traditional Hay Meadow action in GLAS promotes the maintenance of a traditional method of forage conservation that is beneficial to grassland flora and fauna. Farmers who have opted to participate in this action voluntarily commit to the closure of such meadows until 1 July annually and receive €315 payment per hectare per year to compensate for income foregone. As this date has now passed, the question of an extension is no longer relevant.