Michael Ring
Ceist:155 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason farmers with commonage who are not over stocked have to destock. [25523/98]
Written Answers - Sheep Destocking.
Under the terms of an interim framework plan for commonages recently agreed between my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, all sheep farmers with mountain ewes who declared commonage land in counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry on their 1998 area aid application are now required to reduce their mountain ewe numbers by at least 30 per cent of their 1998 quota. This interim measure is necessary to address the problem of commonage areas which have become degraded because of overgrazing by sheep and to protect those commonages areas which, while not now degraded, are in danger of becoming degraded.
The quota reduction measure in the counties concerned, contained in the interim framework plan, will remain in place until such time as detailed framework plans for these commonages are completed. It is possible that when the individual framework plans are drawn up, some farmers who are now subject to the 30 per cent reduction on quotas will be allowed to carry extra sheep whereupon the 30 per cent of quota rights now being frozen for them can be made available to them again.
Work on the preparation of detailed framework plans has already commenced and it is expected that many will become available in 1999. Priority is being given to drawing up framework plans for commonages in the six counties affected by the quota reduction measure contained in the interim framework plan.
As a consequence of the interim framework plan arrangements, all farmers who farm commonage land will be able to apply for the new rural environmental protection scheme, REPS, which provides for an annual payment of £80 per acre on the first 100 acres, £8 per acre on the next 100 acres and £6 per acre on the next 100 acres. An alternative compensation scheme will be made available by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands for farmers who do not wish to join REPS.
The farmers concerned are already entitled to a payment of up to £300 under the winter fodder scheme for farmers with mountain breeding ewes. In order to assist sheep farmers in the six counties who are subject to the 30 per cent reduction in quotas, I am arranging to pay an additional £10 per ewe on the 70 per cent balance of their quota. The overall cost of this measure, together with weather related schemes announced earlier, will be £18.75 million. It is expected that these payments will be made during December.