I propose to take Questions Nos. 181 and 182 together.
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 commonage 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 times as detailed framework plans for those 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 in 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.