Vol. 458 No. 8
170 Mr. E. Ryan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to the strong feelings among the small farmers in the Moy Valley region against the idea of joining the REPS scheme and the possibility that, if the role of the corncrake grant scheme is taken over by REPS, these farmers will lose interest and cease to co-operate with grant staff. [17663/95]
I am not aware of any strong feelings among the farming community in the Moy Valley area against joining the rural environment protection scheme. This is a wide ranging scheme covering measures like grassland management, farmyard pollution control, watercourse protection and wildlife habitat protection.
Under REPS, farmers who have some or all of their lands in a proposed national heritage area can avail of additional payments for maintaining the NHA in the manner prescribed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. The Moy Valley is in a proposed NHA and as such the additional payment would apply to farmers in this area who join REPS and adhere to the conditions prescribed by the NPWS for the conservation of the proposed NHA.
There are no plans to take over the corncrake grants scheme from the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht.
