Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

279. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 191 and 192 of 19 May 2021, if he is satisfied that no changes to the GLAS terms and conditions and structure or system are necessary or planned in REAP or any new environmental or eco scheme in the next CAP to enhance the compatibility of afforestation and such environmental or eco schemes in the next CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28975/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme, (GLAS) is the current national agri-environment support measure under the Rural Development Programme. Section 12 of the GLAS terms and conditions clearly indicates that afforestation is fully compatible with GLAS and is recognised as contributing to the creation of a valuable landscape mosaic at farm-level. It is also important to note that GLAS is not a whole of farm scheme and that opportunities continue to exist for afforestation and for other forestry supports on parcels that do not contain GLAS actions.

The new Results-Based Environmental Agri Pilot (REAP) is designed to trial an agri-environment results-based scoring system at a national level with a view to identifying upscaling potential for possible inclusion in the next flagship national agri-environment scheme to follow on from GLAS. While REAP will focus on grassland based actions, it offers support for complementary actions such as tree and hedge planting where such actions have the potential to improve the environmental score of the land area.

Both terms and conditions are published and there are no plans to make changes to them.

The new CAP Regulation aims to increase the environmental and climate ambition of Member States. This has the potential to support tree planting and farm forestry, as part of a sustainable farming model, and such options will be explored. Forestry can provide a complementary and supplementary activity to schemes on farms and my officials are engaged in a process of developing schemes to ensure that there is integration between the CAP Strategic Plan and the next Forestry Programme.