Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 7

Written Answers. - Rural Environment Protection Scheme.

Austin Deasy

Ceist:

39 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the REP scheme has led to a significant decrease in the damage being done to wildlife habitats to mountainous areas by the overgrazing by sheep; if he will quantify the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11022/99]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

My Department is addressing the problem of overgrazing by sheep on commonages through an improved package of measures under the rural environment protection scheme. It was clear that supplementary measure 2 of the REP scheme which was geared towards the regeneration of areas overgrazed by sheep was not having the desired effect. In order to address this issue my Department negotiated the introduction of a new supplementary measure under the scheme entitled Supplementary Measure A – SMA. Under this measure farmers with commonage land will only be eligible for headage, sheep premia and suckler cow premia payments if they farm in accordance with the conditions of an agri-environmental plan under REPS or a scheme to be drawn up by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. The revised REPS specifications to provide for supplementary measure A were recently published.

The revised REP scheme requires that a framework plan be drawn up for all commonage land which will set out the level of destocking which might be required to achieve the regeneration of overgrazed lands. It will take some time before framework plans will be available for all commonages. However, it is expected that the first plan will be completed within the next couple of weeks. These plans will quantify the position in relation to overgrazing on commonages

Pending the availability of commonage framework plans, my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands have put an interim national commonage framework plan in place. The interim plan involved a destocking equivalent to 30 per cent of mountain ewes for flock holders who use commonage in six counties, Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry, that is those counties identified as having overgrazed commonages.

Enhanced rates of compensation are available to farmers in the target areas under supplementary measure A for farming in accordance with the requirements of an agri-environmental plan. I am confident this new measure will be successful in combating the problem of overgrazing.