Vol. 550 No. 2
169 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development his views on whether the framework documents, as announced, will destroy farming in the west of Ireland; the effect it will have for hill sheep farmers; and the effect it will have on farmers with low-lying land. [7726/02]
The commonage framework plans will play a vital part in ensuring the long-term sustainability of farmers in the west of Ireland. The framework plans are objective assessments of commonages; their purpose is to establish environmentally sustainable farming practices to protect against degradation of commonage land, and to provide for the regeneration of commonages where degradation has already occurred. In the six western counties of Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Galway, Mayo and Kerry, farmers with commonage had already had their sheep numbers reduced by 30% on 1998 levels pending the completion of the framework plans. The framework plans now show that on some 65% of commonage land in these counties, the necessary level of destocking is less than 30%. Thus the majority of farmers will actually be better off as in virtually all cases they will have quota restored to them. While farmers using other commonages may have to destock further, in no case will any farmer be required to destock by more than 50% in 2003.
The destocking element of the commonage framework plans is being implemented by way of a package of measures announced recently. These were developed within the confines of EU agreements and following discussions with thousands of farmers at public meetings. Taken together, they are designed to ensure that the environmental benefits of the framework planning exercise are achieved in a manner which also takes account of the realities of farming and the legitimate needs of the majority of farmers who did not collude in the reckless overgrazing of some commonages.
