Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 December 2014
278. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the areas of commonage identified by his Department as being under grazed; the total acreage of such under grazed commonage in each county; the details of any forced destocking in these commonages under the commonage framework plans or the Nephin destocking scheme or the Maam Turks Twelve Bens destocking; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46211/14]
View answerThe experience to date since the Single Payment Scheme was introduced in 2005 is that there is a growing problem of commonage land being under - grazed and in some cases being abandoned by farmers. A variety of reasons have led to a problem with under-grazing, including the introduction of decoupled payments under the SPS in 2005, the requirement to destock in certain areas for environmental reasons and the age profile of farmers with commonage land. It is a complex issue with no single dominant factor. This trend is not good for the environment, as these areas lose the specific characteristics as natural habitats for flora and fauna. In addition, the creeping ineligibility of these lands under the Single Payment Scheme and other Direct Payment Schemes poses a significant risk to the State in view of the risk of financial corrections being imposed by the European Commission. Under the reformed CAP Regime, it was decided that Direct Payments should be more focused on active farmers. Discussions are currently underway with the EU Commission on these matters.
The following information was provided under Standing Order 40A
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has not carried out a dedicated exercise to establish the areas of commonage land that are under grazed. From the point of view of administration of the Direct Payment Schemes under grazing is not the issue per se. Under the provisions of the Single Payment Scheme, a land parcel is eligible for payment provided that;
(a) All of the ineligible features and areas in the parcel are excluded.
(b) There is an agricultural activity on the parcel, which should ensure that area currently eligible for payment remains in this state.
Since the introduction of decoupling under the Single Payment Scheme in 2015, the level of farming activity on commonage has continued to decrease.
This has led to a situation where there is an increase in the areas ineligible for payment because of ineligibility and inactivity.
