Environmental scheme on track

The 700 GLAS applications received per day was welcomed last week by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney as “good progress”.

He said: “We are looking for people to make constructive criticisms of the application process so that we can keep improving it as it goes along. If anybody had suggested that by this point in time we would have nearly 10,000 applications ready for submission, most people would have been pleasantly surprised.”

The Department has published the following Q&A guide to the agri-environmental scheme for farmers and for GLAS planners. For the full Q&A, see:

www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingschemesandpayments/glas/FAQsGLAS11032015pdf.pdf

When GLAS planning online, will the online GLAS system tell us automatically whether a farmer’s land is located in the priority access areas, or do we need to establish this elsewhere?

When you look at a client’s application, this information will be available on the Profile tab. You can get details of the overall farm attributes, or by selecting a parcel.

A user manual is available, to be found at the blue strap at the top of the page in the application system.

I have a client who is part of the NPWS Hen Harrier protection scheme. He is still in it in 2015, year five of this scheme. Can he also join GLAS?

Farmers participating in the National Parks and Wildlife Service Farm Plan Scheme may submit an application for GLAS, but if approved, cannot draw down payment under both schemes.

If a farmer has a wet drain/watercourse, that has water in it 90% of the time, but it is not registered as a watercourse on the GLAS mapping system, can he still put down for protection of watercourses from bovines?

If a water course does not appear on the GLAS mapping system, then it can’t be chosen for the protection of water courses from bovines action.

I have a client who has an LPIS with high quality river on a parcel which is compulsory to fence off. Is this LPIS out for forestry, even though the full parcel will not be planted?

See the fourth paragraph of page 59 of the specifications, it must remain in grass for the duration of the contract.

In relation to the Low Emissions Slurry Spreading, is there an exact calculation to be used to calculate the cubic metres of slurry a farmer has spread, using this method? Is the most accurate measure of this to turn the farmers nitrates figure for kg of N to cubic metres?

The farmer declares to the Department of Agriculture through his annual declaration to GLAS how much he spread. There is no requirement in the GLAS application to indicate the likely amount to be spread. In terms of calculations, 1 cubic metre of slurry is approximately 220 gallons.

How do I find out if the farmer is in a High-Status or vulnerable water area. Does it state that on the system? If so, where?

When you look at a client’s application in the GLAS system, on their farm profile, you will see what attributes the holding has, including any designated watercourses.

Is the payment for new Hedgerow Establishment of 5/m irrespective of the costs to establish same?

Yes.

If there is any sign of heather at all in a pasture for Low Input Permanent Pasture (LIPP), does this automatically exclude the farmer from this option?

If a parcel has heather, it is not eligible for payment in GLAS as a LIPP parcel.

A client of mine is seeking to apply to GLAS this year. He is currently applying for a new herd number, and is looking to lease land for a minimum of five years. Does this lease need to be stamped by the Property Registration Authority? Or will a lease drawn up and signed and witnessed by all parties involved be sufficient?

GLAS applications in the current tranche, open now, are based on the herd number and land parcel information declared and confirmed on the applicant’s 2014 SPS claim.

If your client is a new entrant, and didn’t make a 2014 SPS claim, then they will not be able to apply for GLAS until after their 2015 BPS application is submitted and accepted. In any event, a GLAS participant must have control of the land for the entire duration of their GLAS contract, and must make a valid BPS application each year.

We will not be reviewing or requesting documents pertaining to the lease.

I have a client who is retiring and leasing the farm to his son and also transferring his herd number to his son. All lands were declared in the 2014 SPS declaration. I want to confirm, can his son apply for GLAS under said herd number on lands which were declared in the 2014 SPS in that herd number, which would have been in the father’s name at that time. He will have these lands for the duration of the GLAS contract.

A GLAS application is based on the 2014 SPS application. If all the land is transferred with the herd number to the son, then there will be no issue. The GLAS application will be made in the father’s name, and when the 2015 BPS claim is submitted and confirmed, the GLAS details will change.