Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 July 2012
411 Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the compensation available to farmers, who were required to destock an area (details supplied) in Connemara, for the years 2012 and 2013 who were in REP scheme and have now left it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36202/12]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, many commonages in the west of Ireland were subjected to serious overgrazing by sheep in the 1980s and into the 1990s, to such an extent that the European Court of Justice made a judgment in 2002 that Ireland was in breach of EU Nature Directives, in particular the Birds Directive, for permitting the deterioration of habitats of the Red Grouse. The State was obliged to take measures to resolve the effects of the overgrazing. Thanks to the collaborative effort of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the IFA, local farmers and my Department, recovery from overgrazing has now been delivered in most parts, although some problem areas still remain. Some additional restrictions were necessary in these areas until there was a significant recovery of vegetation cover and structure. These restrictions are in place until late 2013, at which point it is hoped the recovery of the vegetation will enable the removal of restrictions.
Some 25 farmers in the area referred to by the Deputy participate in the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) farm plan scheme, which is managed by my Department. Compensation for each destocked ewe, below the polluter pays level of 5 ewes/ha over the whole farm, is €39.75. Off-wintered ewes receive €50 per annum. In addition, the NPWS covered the cost of preparing the NPWS farm plan. Due to budgetary constraints, the NPWS farm plan scheme was closed to new applicants in April 2010. In the areas referred to, the NPWS is also making top-up payments to REPS and AEOS farmers for these additional restrictions. All farmers who farm within these areas were obliged to enter an approved agri-environmental plan (REPS or NPWS). Existing REPS farmers were also required to amend their current REPS plans by 1 November 2008 to reflect the new requirements. For the five years of the scheme, REPS farmers are paid €2,000 by the NPWS for each year in which they have fully met the destocking and off-wintering provisions of their plans until the end of 2013. In September 2011, I announced an additional compensation measure for destocked farmers in the area referred to by the Deputy whose REPS plans terminated since the closing date for applications to AEOS 2 2011. Where a farmer's REPS contract had terminated, he/she receives a payment from my Department that equates to a similar amount to what he/she might expect to receive under AEOS. These payments for out of contract REPS farmers ran until 15 May 2012.
