Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 16 Feb 1995

Vol. 449 No. 3

Written Answers. - Set Aside Payments.

Kathleen Lynch

Question:

18 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the average payment received by farmers in respect of set aside land for each of the years 1993 and 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3463/95]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

The average payment received by farmers in respect of set aside was £2,455 in 1993 and £3,292 in 1994.

The use of set aside land for any purpose other than the production of crops for non-food use is prohibited. Little use has been made so far in Ireland of set-aside land for non-food purposes. A small project involving some 484 hectares of oilseed grown on set aside land was operated in Leinster in 1994 under contract and for export to the UK for use in the pharmaceutical industry.

I am anxious to ensure that the opportunity to use set aside land for productive purposes is exploited to the full. The facility to use this land for industrial uses such as production of bio-fuel crops is something which merits serious consideration by all producers with set aside.

Management rules for set aside land

Under the rules governing the set aside scheme, lands in set aside must be maintained in good agricultural condition and, in particular, without damaging the environment. The main environmental consequences of land set aside are the effects of nitrate leaching and disimprovement of the visual appearance of the land through weed infestation.The requirement to provide a green cover on set aside land either through the establishment of a mixture of grasses or with mustard, phacelia, fodder rape or natural regeneration is intended to prevent the disimprovement outlined above.

The impact of set aside on our production capacity is a source of serious concern for me. However, it is a requirement which applies equally to all member states, and is a fundamental element of CAP reform.

Another element of the CAP reform which is threatening production capacity is the eligible land rule, which confines production to a specific category of land. This rule, in my view represents an additional restriction on the production potential and I am actively pursuing with the EU Commission, the possibility of having it modified, or even abolished.