Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 Dec 1998

Vol. 498 No. 5

Written Answers. - Rural Environment Protection Scheme.

Marian McGennis

Question:

16 Ms M. McGennis asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the role and uptake in the REP scheme in relation to the number of producers and the area involved; when the framework plan for commonages will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27770/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

There are currently over 39,000 participants in REPS farming in excess of 1.32 million hectares of land and corresponding to approximately 29 per cent of Ireland's agricultural area.

The revised REP scheme requires that a framework plan be drawn up for all commonage lands. The preparation of the framework plans will be carried out under the supervision of my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. It will take some time before framework plans will be available for all commonages.

In the meantime, as I announced recently, interim arrangements have been agreed between my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands to put a national commonage framework plan in place pending the completion of individual commonage framework plans. The national plan involves a destocking of mountain ewes equivalent to 30 per cent of the quota held in 1998 for flock holders who use commonage in six counties, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry, that is those counties identified as having overgrazed commonages. Plans prepared under the national framework plan will be reviewed when the individual commonage framework plans are available in 1999.

The revised REP scheme provides that farmers with commonage land who are already in the scheme or who join the scheme in the future can avail of the higher rates of compensation of £80 per acre for the first 100 acres with additional payments for the next 200 acres on the basis of the national framework plan and the other conditions of the revised scheme. It has been necessary to revise the scheme document and the agri-enviromnental specifications to take account of the new measure. These, along with application forms, will be available from my Department's farm development services offices shortly opening the way to the implementation of the revised REPS.