European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan said this Friday that the European Commission would respond "positively and quickly" to Ireland's request to introduce flexibility in GLAS low-input permanent pasture and fallow land rules next week.

Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed said he and Commissioner Phil Hogan had discussed the measures "in light of the recent severe drought conditions and their impact on an already difficult fodder situation" and EU officials were now processing them, but had not yet formally given approval. Irish officials met their Commission counterparts in Brussels on this issue this Friday.

The Government proposal is to allow mowing of low-input permanent pasture fields for silage or hay-making from 1 September to 1 December.

According to Department figures, this would allow fodder production from 269,000ha of land farmed by 37,800 GLAS participants. Minister Creed argued that management of those fields under GLAS rules so far this year had already delivered the desired environmental benefits for wildlife.

The application for GLAS flexibility also includes a once-off fodder off-take from fallow land during the same period.

"My department will confirm when the procedures to formally agree the measures are concluded, as soon as possible," Minister Creed said.

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