The Department of Agriculture has estimated that payments under the second tranche of the GLAS scheme will average €4,600.
It says this is the latest estimate and until the full payment calculations are processed later in 2016 a final average figure will not be available.
Of the 14,000 applications for GLAS Tranche 2 approximately 2,400 letters have issued to applicants informing them that they were not selected in this round; this is because all available places were taken by higher-ranking applications.
In addition the Department is currently reviewing a further 400 applications with a view to making a final decision on their eligibility into the Scheme.
According to a Department spokesperson, the it has fully utilised the GLAS allocation for 2016.
“When fully subscribed, the total GLAS spend will be €250m per annum. As previously advised Tranche 3 will be launched later this year and the contracts will start in 2017. Applicants who have been unsuccessful in Tranche 1 or Tranche 2 can reapply under Tranche 3.
Breakdown of GLAS Tranche 2 applications is as follows:
- Tier 1: 6,838
- Tier 2: 4,035
- Tier 3,351
To date, the Department says there are seven applications which failed Scheme validation checks and 2,265 Tier 3 applications which were not selected as all available places had been taken by higher ranking applications.
Re-apply
The Department has emphasised that GLAS works on a very clear hierarchical structure that deliberately prioritises applications that deliver the highest environmental return.
Any applicant who was not selected this time is perfectly free to submit again in the autumn, and indeed to revisit their application to see can they take the actions required to promote themselves to a higher tier.
The Department is required in every instance to prioritise Tier 1 above Tier 2 and Tier 2 above Tier 3. If there are insufficient applications in Tiers 1 and 2 to fill the places available, then applications from Tier 3 come into play.