The amount was revealed in response to a parliamentary question in late 2015. Robert Troy, a Fianna Fáil TD for Longford and Westmeath, asked the Department of Agriculture how much it had spent on consultancy fees over the past five years.
One of its biggest consultancy spends has been in relation to GLAS, the new agri-environment scheme, which is part of the €4bn Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020.
The Department is paying ADAS, the UK’s largest independent provider of environmental consultancy and policy advice, €1.5m to carry out an evaluation of the scheme.
The Department has elaborated on this spend to the Irish Farmers Journal, saying that monitoring and evaluation is “a key part of Ireland’s RDP and is provided for under EU rural development regulations. The GLAS evaluation is part of this process.”
According to the Department, ADAS UK was appointed following a “competitive tender process” some months ago. It says this study of GLAS runs over the course of the RDP, and it is designed to see how effective the various GLAS actions have been in delivering positive environmental change on the ground. It also examines changes in attitude.
“The results will in turn influence the shape of Ireland’s proposals for the next RDP,” the Department says.
The Department has also confirmed that this money comes out of the fund for Ireland’s €4bn RDP, which is co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Irish Exchequer.
Other projects undertaken for the Department of Agriculture by ADAS UK include the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for Ireland’s Forestry Programme for 2014-2020, the results of which were published in February 2015.
GLAS
GLAS, when fully operational, will support up to 50,000 farmers and require funding of €250m per annum. The first tranche of the scheme opened in February 2015, the second on in October 2015 and the third is due to open some time around June 2016.
Read more
GLAS II decision by end of January 2016
Farm payments glossary: GLAS
The amount was revealed in response to a parliamentary question in late 2015. Robert Troy, a Fianna Fáil TD for Longford and Westmeath, asked the Department of Agriculture how much it had spent on consultancy fees over the past five years.
One of its biggest consultancy spends has been in relation to GLAS, the new agri-environment scheme, which is part of the €4bn Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020.
The Department is paying ADAS, the UK’s largest independent provider of environmental consultancy and policy advice, €1.5m to carry out an evaluation of the scheme.
The Department has elaborated on this spend to the Irish Farmers Journal, saying that monitoring and evaluation is “a key part of Ireland’s RDP and is provided for under EU rural development regulations. The GLAS evaluation is part of this process.”
According to the Department, ADAS UK was appointed following a “competitive tender process” some months ago. It says this study of GLAS runs over the course of the RDP, and it is designed to see how effective the various GLAS actions have been in delivering positive environmental change on the ground. It also examines changes in attitude.
“The results will in turn influence the shape of Ireland’s proposals for the next RDP,” the Department says.
The Department has also confirmed that this money comes out of the fund for Ireland’s €4bn RDP, which is co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Irish Exchequer.
Other projects undertaken for the Department of Agriculture by ADAS UK include the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for Ireland’s Forestry Programme for 2014-2020, the results of which were published in February 2015.
GLAS
GLAS, when fully operational, will support up to 50,000 farmers and require funding of €250m per annum. The first tranche of the scheme opened in February 2015, the second on in October 2015 and the third is due to open some time around June 2016.
Read more
GLAS II decision by end of January 2016
Farm payments glossary: GLAS
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