Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 15 Feb 2001

Vol. 530 No. 5

Written Answers. - Sheep Quota.

Michael Ring

Question:

56 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of farmers in each of the six western counties who are barred from buying or leasing sheep quota until the framework documents are completed. [1471/01]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

The position is that in conjunction with my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, I introduced a national interim framework plan for all commonages, in 1998. Under the terms of that interim framework plan all sheep farmers with mountain ewes and commonage land in the six western counties who were not already participating in the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, were required to reduce their ewe numbers by 30% in November – December 1998.

This national interim framework plan for commonages was put in place pending the completion of detailed framework plans for individual commonages which will incorporate the main environmental measures in the agri-environment programme already agreed with the EU Commission in 1998. The new measure requires that a detailed framework plan be drawn up for each commonage under the supervision of my Depart ment and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. In addition, significantly enhanced payments are available under REPS for farmers with land in natural heritage areas and commonages.

Work on the preparation of detailed commonage framework plans is nearing completion and it is expected that the plans will become available during the summer. The plans are being prepared by teams consisting of agriculturists and environmentalists.

The main aim of these detailed framework plans will be to set sustainable stocking levels which will allow for the regeneration of damaged vegetation. When these plans are implemented stocking rates will be set which will reflect the environmental needs of each commonage. In the meantime some 5,249 sheep farmers in the counties concerned may not increase their sheep quota. Of this number some 2,000 are already participating in the REPS. Those farmers who are not participating in REPS have been compensated annually for the reduction in ewe numbers through a scheme administered by my colleague the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands.

When the detailed commonage framework plans are completed it will be a condition of the disadvantaged areas' compensatory allowance scheme and the ewe premium scheme that farmers with commonage land must be participating in an approved REPS plan or a national agri-environment plan to be operated by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. It is expected that such cross-compliance will be put in place next year.