Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2021
279. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to ensure the CAP includes recognition of hedgerow quality and protects the carbon and biodiversity values of these landscape features; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56258/21]
View answerWork on Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan is ongoing, but I can confirm at this stage that several proposed elements will protect the carbon and biodiversity value of our hedgerows.
Indeed, some of these elements are designed to also improve hedgerow quality and, hence, the contribution hedgerows are making from a carbon storage and biodiversity perspective.
Irish hedgerows are already designated as landscape features under the CAP. This means a farmer in receipt of CAP payments is obliged to retain existing hedgerows on their land. This condition will continue under the next CAP.
In addition, I propose to broaden the Conditionality requirements so that a minimum of 4% of each farm must be devoted to ecologically beneficial features such as hedgerows and other nature- and biodiversity-rich features. This will place a direct economic value on retaining and, where necessary, creating these features.
In addition, the Eco-Scheme is a new annual agri-environmental scheme that farmers will be able to avail of under the next CAP. I propose to use this scheme to build on Conditionality requirements including, for example, by rewarding farmers that have a higher proportion of their land devoted to ecologically beneficial features such as hedgerows.
A flagship multi-annual Agri-Environmental Climate Measure is also proposed for the CAP Strategic Plan. It will include specific, prescription-based, actions for new hedgerow planting and, where necessary, hedgerow rejuvenation by coppicing or laying. For two results-based field actions (low input grassland and multi-species leys) farmers will be rewarded for the quality of hedgerows and treelines. This will encourage improved hedgerow management, and protect and enhance the carbon and biodiversity value of this landscape feature.
