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 The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, TD., announced today that he is re-opening the Agri-Environmental Options Scheme, AEOS, to new entrants.
Minister Coveney stated that “Despite the challenging budgetary constraints within the Department, I am delighted to be in a position to announce that I am providing €20m for the AEOS scheme which will open shortly for applications”. He said “the scheme will build on the success of both the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and both AEOS 1 and 2 in delivering an annual income to farmers in return for farming to high environmental standards.”
A maximum payment of €4,000 per annum will apply to individual applicants under the re-opened scheme. The Minister said that as average payments in the past have been lower than the maximum, he is confident that up to 6,000 new participants can be accepted into the scheme.”
The Minister said that the scheme will be similar to previous years but that there will be some minor changes which are designed to target increased benefits to both participating farmers and the environment.
The Minister stated that “farmers will be paid to undertake identifiable and verifiable environmental measures from a menu of options”. He added that the scheme would “be attractive to farmers while also delivering real, worthwhile environmental benefits in the areas of bio-diversity, water quality and climate change. From that point of view, I am very pleased to announce the re-opening of the scheme again this year”.
As in earlier years, farmers with commonage land, designated Special Areas of Conservation or Special Protection Areas will be required to follow a ‘Sustainable Management Plan‘ prepared by a planner. However, those applicants will be given priority in determining access to the scheme. Applicants other than those requiring a sustainable management plan will not be required to engage a planner to complete their application form. In addition to the priority which will be given to designated land, the Minister said that applicants would be assessed on the basis of selection criteria reflecting previous participation in REPS, farm size and location in Disadvantaged Areas.
The Minister concluded by encouraging all farmers intending to apply for participation in the Scheme to look carefully at all of the information available to ensure that their applications are completed properly. Full details of the new Scheme, including the terms and conditions and application forms will be available in the next few days to his Department’s website at www.agriculture.gov.ie. Hard copies of all scheme documentation will be made available from the Department’s local offices and Teagasc offices nationwide in the next few weeks.
AEOS is a targeted agri- environment scheme and is part-funded by the EU under the Rural Development Programme, 2007-2013. The scheme specifically targets the three challenges of halting biodiversity loss, contributing to the improvement of water quality and combating climate change, latter which have been assigned the highest priority at European level.
 Pézenas, France – Photo Gerard Connaughton Pézenas, a town in the south of France, was once the seat of local Government for the Languedoc region of France, during the 16th-17th Centuries, and remains to this day, one of the prettiest towns to visit in this French region.
Nestling between the Mediterranean sea and the Haut Languedoc, Pézenas is a town, much like Thurles, which is rich with the sort of good living for which both the French Languedoc region and county Tipperary, are individually in their own right, renowned.
Just like Tipperary speciality foods are numerous. In Pézenas it’s “Les Petits Pates” (a sort of warm mince pie) and “Berlingots” (a unique type of boiled sweet,) an almost inexhaustible range of olives, honey and of course wine. In Tipperary it’s the freshness of our local produce emanating from the Golden Vale, Cashel Blue, Cooleeney Farmhouse, Dunbarra & Gortnamona Cheeses, not forgetting of course Inch House black pudding.
Like Thurles, Pézenas enjoys sumptuous food emanating from the many restaurants dotted throughout the town, which is home to a population of some 8.500 people. Like Thurles also, Pézenas enjoys the arts and an ancient architecture and heritage.
Thurles native Mr Gerard Connaughton, a regular reader of Thurles.Info, is currently enjoying part of his well earned holiday in the Languedoc region. Writing to us from Pézenas he states he is “struck by the similarities and saddened by the differences in economic fortunes,” between his native town Thurles & his chosen holiday destination.
While there are a lot of tourists about, the local market draw French people in huge numbers from all over the Hérault, latter a department in the south of France named after the Hérault River.
Gerard writes, “I visited the Saturday market in the centre of town this morning. I was astonished by the buzz and business activity I witnessed. Pézenas has a population of about 8,500 – similar to Thurles. I believe we made a big mistake moving the market out of Liberty Square!”
Gerard was kind enough to send us a picture of his morning visit to the market area in question.
Do you think our now lifeless Liberty Square here in Thurles could benefit with the return of a morning market? Personally I believe, like Gerard, we need to generate a bit of “buzz and business activity,” in the centre of our town which has presently (I regret to state,) all the appearance of a waiting room in a morgue, or as tourism brochures presently label us “Liberty Square, Thurles, is just one giant car park.”
Perphaps it is now time to launch an attack on our town & reclaim it from the greedy hands of central government officialdom. Your comments please.
 Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME “Trading out of the Recession” is the theme for the ISME Skillnet Autumn Briefing & Networking Sessions.
These sessions are designed to give Owner /Managers the skills and expertise to trade out of this recession. They will examine today’s operating environment for SMEs and ask what does the future hold in store?
Each session is focused on imparting practical and relevant information to owner managers.
Topics which will be discussed include:- Maximise your Sales, – Avoid fines for non-compliance of employment law, – Are you a victim of Anti-Competitive behaviour? – Top tips to Improve your business.
Owner /Managers can book their place now for what promises to be the best business advice of the year by clicking Here.
Do note dates and venues shown around the country between 27th September, & 16th October next, you will be sure to find a time that suits your present busy schedule.
AGENDA
- Grow Your Sales – Paul Hurley, Marketbuild. A practical, back to basics session on how to maximise your sales in any economic climate.
- Crash Course in Employment Law Compliance – John Barry, MD, Management Support Services. Simple steps to follow procedures, stay compliant and avoid unnecessary inspections and fines.
- Anti-Competitive Behaviour and SMEs – The Competition Authority. How to avoid becoming a victim of anti-competitive behaviour and stay on the right side of competition law.
- Trading Out of the Recession – Thurles native Mark Fielding, CEO ISME. Top tips on how to survive and improve your business, including a full list of government supports for SMEs.
 The Department of Social Protection has today reassure it customers that payment of the Household Charge is no longer a requirement for payment of a Social Welfare entitlement or registration for their new Public Services Card.
Concerns had been expressed that the Department of Social Protection were linking compliance of the Household Charge with the issue of their new Public Services Card. However in a statement today, the Department have now stated that a receipt for payment of this inequitable tax is not a pre-condition when securing Social Welfare payments.
Previously a letter, sent to claimants, had asked that those receiving Social Welfare attend to register for their new card, (latter which will now replace the current Social Services Card) should bring a receipt of payment of the Household Charge, as proof of their current address.
Any utility bill, in the claimants own name, will now be acceptable alternative proof of their present residence.
 Reaction yesterday to the linking by some County Councils, of third-level student grants, sought by low income families, to the non payment of household charges has further inflamed resistance and opposition in Tipperary.
In the Dáil yesterday, Taoiseach Enda Kenny confirmed that local authorities had no legal right to withhold grants to third level students based on non-payment of household charges by respective households.
South Tipperary County Council yesterday reversed its threatened decision to withhold payments sought by third-level grant applicants whose households had failed to pay this inequitable tax. This decision came about as a result of legal advice received from the Department of the Environment with whom Tipp South County council had consulted. The rate of non payment of the household charge in South Tipperary is currently estimated at over 40%.
It would appear County Councillors are now worried about their future careers in politics come the local elections, more than their guaranteed “junketing weekends away,” at the taxpayer’s expense. Well after all 2014 is not that far away and as Fianna Fáil will tell you, unlike goldfish, which supposedly have an attention span of about 3 seconds, human beings appear to have a slightly longer memory.
Politicians in Senegal, West Africa, have just saved €11.5m by dissolving their Senate. This saving will now be used to provide funding needed to help the victims of the annual rains, which have left thousands of their citizens homeless. Meanwhile despite our Irish governments continued promise to vote on our Seanad’s future, this decision continues to be put on the back burner. Most of our Senators are elected by either members of the Oireachtas or by County & City councillors, making it a temporary retirement home, in between elections, for people like the aging Minister Phil Hogan.
Regrettably for taxpayers, this particular ‘Rest Home,’ can never be inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), if you understand my meaning.
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