Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
832. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will amend the co-operation projects as part of the new CAP national agri-environment scheme to include high nature value farmland on the Mizen peninsula which meet the criteria of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11105/22]
View answerThe map of the eight Co-operation Project (CP) zones was developed to facilitate the implementation of locally targeted and adapted agri-environment measures under the Co-Operation stream of the proposed new Agri-Environment Climate Measures (AECM) scheme.
An interdepartmental working group with representatives from my Department, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, EPA and LAWPRO, was established to identify the relevant areas for the zones. Development of the map and selection of the areas for the Co-operation stream involved identifying particular lands throughout the country based on the criteria set out below.
- SACs
- SPAs
- NHAs
- All offshore islands
- Burren region (RDP map)
- Corncrake LIFE areas
- Breeding Hen Harrier Regions
- Curlew breeding areas
- Wild Atlantic Nature areas
- River sub-basins known to have large areas of Annex I grasslands
- Blue Dot Catchments
From lands that met the criteria above, the interdepartmental group selected the eight co-operation zones on the basis of maximum environmental priority.
However, it is important to note that farmers with lands outside of these Co-operation zones, like those on the Mizen peninsula, will be eligible to participate in the General stream of the proposed AECM.
