Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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2553. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the intended number of participants in the new agri-environment scheme post the CAP transition period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20280/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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It is proposed that a new agri-environment scheme will be included in Ireland’s new CAP Strategic Plan. While the relevant CAP Strategic Plan Regulation has yet to be finalised, my Department is working on the design of a new agri-environment measure.

It is likely that eligibility for the new scheme will be similar to that for previous agri-environment climate measures such as the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS). The eventual level of uptake will depend on demand, which will be subject to a number of factors such as the range of actions offered, whether appropriate to or suitable for a farmer’s land and/or farming system, ease of implementation, and the associated payment rates.

At a national level, the numbers for approval into the scheme will be determined by the overall budgetary allocation to Ireland under the Common Agricultural Policy and the number and duration of interventions, and associated budgetary requirements, to be funded from that allocation.

As the regulations governing the implementation of the new CAP at Member State level are not yet finalised and interventions are currently being designed on a provisional basis until such time as relevant regulations agreed, the Deputy will appreciate that it is too early in the process to give an indication as to the likely uptake under the new agri-environment climate measure.

My clear intention is to deliver an Agri-Enviornmental scheme that is ambitious in terms of rewarding farmers financially while protecting the enviornment.