Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 March 2022
835. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if designated hen harrier ground is in or out of the AECM scheme; if he will provide detailed information in relation to the breeding hen harrier regions; if the areas in west Limerick can be identified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11190/22]
View answerFarmers is all areas of the country will be able to participate in the general AECM scheme.
However, the map for the Co-Operation measure of the new Agri-Environment Climate Measures (AECM) scheme identifies eight Co-Operation zones throughout the country. Development of the map and selection of the areas for the Co-operation stream involved identifying particular lands throughout the country based on a number of criteria such as SACs, SPAs, and Breeding Hen Harrier Regions amongst others.
Each Co-Operation zone may have multiple environmental priorities, rather than just one priority such as a breeding hen harrier region, for instance.
The Co-Operation map published on my Department’s website does not identify holdings at townland or farm level. Work is ongoing in my Department on the development and rollout of the AECM to enable a farmer or advisor to log on to the Department’s system, enter an identifier such as a herd number and be directed to the Co-Operation stream or General stream of the AECM.
Until this detailed work is completed, it is not possible to communicate definitively to a farmer or their advisor whether a particular farm in west Limerick, for example, is within the CP zone.
This development work is a priority and the portal will open as soon as practicable.
