Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2013
153. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made to date on proposals in relation to commonages; if he will confirm that no decision will be made in relation to this matter until it has been examined by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6988/13]
View answerThe Commonage Framework Plans, first published in 2002, have been reviewed to take account of the current vegetative condition of commonages nationally. This review, which will replace the Commonage Framework Plans, has been carried out by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in co-operation with my Department. The review was carried out on a commonage LPIS parcel basis and sets a minimum and maximum number of ewe equivalents (EE) required to graze the commonage parcel to ensure that it is maintained in Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC).
Account will be taken of the traditional grazing of some commonages by cattle and other animals such as Kerry Bog Ponies. My Department, in conjunction with the other interested state agencies including NPWS, is currently considering an implementation plan to take account of the changed stocking levels. My Department is trying to reconcile the conditions on the commonages with the EU requirements of GAEC. I can confirm that I intend to continue to work with the farmers, farm organisations and other stakeholders to design a practical solution to reflect the current realities of the commonages and the need to have appropriate management grazing plans in place.
