Billy Timmins
Question:168 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reduction in sheep numbers across the six designated counties under the commonage framework plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22712/02]
Written Answers. - Commonage Framework Plans.
A total of 4,994 farmers in counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry were notified of preliminary ewe quota numbers allowed for 2003. The commonage framework plans require a reduction of 127,325 ewe quota rights across the six designated counties. Allowing for the fact that a total of 106,720 quota rights had previously been frozen in these counties, the net additional reduction in numbers now required is 20,605.
Billy Timmins
Question:169 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the SAC-commonage appeals unit will be established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22714/02]
My Department, in conjunction with Dúchas, is currently making arrangements for the establishment of a commonage framework plan appeals body, and I will make a detailed announcement shortly about its composition and procedures.
Appeals will be considered on environmental grounds only. Where a representative number of shareholders in a commonage do not accept the scientific basis on which the commonage destocking figures in the framework plan are based, they will have the possibility of putting their case before the appeals body. Some funding will be made available to appellants to enable them to have a professional assessment of the framework plan carried out. Pending the outcome of an appeal, the destocking in the relevant framework plan will be implemented.
Billy Timmins
Question:170 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, in the case of a commonage (details supplied) in County Wicklow, his attention has been drawn to the fact that the damage identified in the commonage framework plans is not related to agricultural practices. [22715/02]
Each commonage framework plan is an objective scientific assessment by an agriculturist and an ecologist of the environmental state of the commonage concerned and the impact on it of grazing by sheep. I am aware of the contention that non-farming activities by other parties have caused some of the degradation on the commonage in question. However, these factors were noted by the planning team in its assessment. The prevention of deleterious actions by other parties is a matter for the owners of the commonage to pursue directly.
An appeals process will be announced shortly under which a representative number of shareholders in a commonage, if they do not accept the scientific basis on which the commonage destocking figures in the framework plan are based, will have the possibility of having it reviewed.