Vol. 559 No. 1
172 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the Ministers and Ministers of State, from his Department involved in negotiations with the European Commission on Supplementary Measure A of REP schemes since the negotiations started in 1997 to date; and the details on a stage by stage basis. [25820/02]
Negotiations with the EU Commission on Supplementary Measure A of the REPS commenced in 1997 and culminated in the approval by the Commission of the measure in August, 1998 opening the way for payment of up to €242 per hectare on commonage land and designated natural heritage areas, special areas of conservation and special protection areas.
The agreement was negotiated by officials of my Department in difficult circumstances and in that context I believe that the outcome was highly satisfactory. There were significant environmental problems caused by overgrazing of sheep. These were particularly acute on commonages in the west. Two existing supplementary measures in REPS were not having an effect, take-up was low, and where one farmer on a commonage joined REPS his or her efforts to improve the environment were likely to be negated by other farmers using the same land. The situation had deteriorated to the point where, in 1998, the EU Commission withdrew approval for payment on any commonage land declared in new REPS applications and intimated that it was contemplating compulsory measures with no compensation for farmers.
The agreement, which has enabled me to pay some €7 million a year to farmers with commonage on top of their basic REPS payments, was secured during my tenure of office as Minister. During the same period, Deputy Noel Davern and Deputy Ned O'Keeffe were Ministers of State at my Department.
