Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue has announced details about how farmers can continue their participation in the Green, Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) for 2022.

Farmers with GLAS 1, 2 or 3 contracts, which will expire on December 31, 2021 are being offered an extension of one year (i.e. to December 31, 2022).

The minister said today (Monday, November 15): "My department has now issued information packs to current active participants in GLAS, including an offer to extend their contracts and the ways in which they may apply by the deadline of December 10, 2021.

The process will be similar to that undertaken last year.

"I was encouraged to see the number of participants who extended their GLAS contracts for this year, as it meant that the provision of environmental benefits continued to accrue during the transitional period before the new CAP while farmers also had continuity of income," Minister McConalogue said.

As an extension is being offered for a number of schemes, the department is proposing to issue offers on a sequential basis.

"A key point is that actions undertaken under GLAS continue on January 1, 2022 so farmers may now wish to consider whether to avail of the offer and be in position to reply upon receipt of the offer," the minister advised.

An information pack was posted to participants on Wednesday (November 10, 2021), conveying the offer to extend and the ways in which they may apply, and also providing current details of their GLAS contract and circulars summarising changes to the relevant terms, conditions and specifications.

Key details confirmed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine today are: