Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 7

Written Answers - Grant Payments.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

116 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason sheep farmers in the commonage areas of west Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Louth and Wicklow were excluded from the recently announced supplementary sheep and fodder aid package. [26151/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

The ewe supplementary measure 1998 is confined to the commonages in the counties of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Galway and Kerry as these were the commonages which were identified under REPS as degraded or in danger of becoming degraded. It was agreed with the EU that special measures needed to be taken to address the problem of overgrazing in those counties. As a result sheep farmers in the counties concerned are now required to reduce their mountain ewe numbers by at least 30 per cent of their 1998 quota.

Commonages in west Cork, Waterford, Tipperary, Louth and Wicklow were excluded from the measure as they were not identified as being overgrazed. However, sheep farmers in all areas who were paid headage in respect of mountain sheep in 1998 are eligible for aid under the 1998 winter fodder scheme, payment in respect of which will be made within the next two weeks. In addition, sheep farmers in all commonage areas will now be able to apply for the new REPS measure which provides for a payment of £80 per acre on the first 100 acres, £8 per acre on the next 100 acres and £6 per acre on the next 100 acres.