One of the key decisions the new Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed will take this year will be the number of farmers he allows into the last GLAS tranche.
The overall target for GLAS is to attract 50,000 farmers into the scheme. To date, some 38,000 farmers have been approved into the first two Tranches of GLAS, 26,500 in GLAS 1 and 11,500 in GLAS 2.
The Minister has said that he has ensured adequate provisions are available for Tranche 3 of the scheme.
He plans to launch Tranche 3 of GLAS (GLAS 3) later this year and, all farmers not already in the scheme – including those who were unsuccessful in their applications for the first two tranches – will have the opportunity to submit a new application for GLAS 3 when the scheme opens.
However, it is unclear at this stage the numbers of farmers which will be approved and whether the Department will leave some farmers out of the scheme altogether.
Farmers in GLAS 3
What will be important in this instance will be the position of Fianna Fail and its new Agriculture Spokesperson, Charlie McConalogue. With the Government not commanding a majority in the Dail GLAS 3 could well become a political hot potato this Autumn.
However, the Minister has already warned that farmers will have to optimise their applications to ensure entry into the scheme.
He said recently that when preparing applications, it is important that farmers, in consultation with their advisors, ensure that the highest standard environmental plans are presented to the Department, to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3.
He said the unprecedented level of applications to the Scheme has meant that for the second tranche of GLAS, priority was given to what are called Tier 1 and Tier 2 candidates, i.e. those who either manage key environmental assets like endangered birds, protected habitats or high-quality water courses, or who have committed to undertake particularly valuable environmental actions like growing feed-crops for wild birds, adopting low-impact tillage techniques or using low-emission slurry spreading methods.
Minister Creed has confirmed that a third tranche of GLAS will open later this year and any applicant who was unsuccessful under GLAS 2 has the opportunity now to re-examine their proposed farm-plan in consultation with their advisor to see how it might be improved to increase their chance of selection under GLAS 3 and submit a new application for GLAS 3 when the scheme is opened.