Vol. 531 No. 2
84 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the grants which are available to a farmer whose marginal land has been designated as a special area of conservation and who wishes to preserve the status of the land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5230/01]
All designated special areas of conservation are classified as target areas under the rural environmental protection scheme. Under measure A of REPS, which was called Supplementary Measure A in the previous scheme, eligible target area lands attract the following rates of payment: £190.59 – 242 – per hectare up to and including the first 40 hectares; £18.90 – 24 – per hectare for areas over 40 hectares and up to and including 80 hectares and £14.18 – 18 – per hectare for areas over 80 hectares and up to a maximum of 120 hectares. The rates quoted came into effect in 1999 when the previous REP scheme was revised to include Supplementary Measure A. Up to then, SAC lands attracted a maximum payment of £147.27 – 187 – per hectare and this rate was payable on a maximum area of 40 hectares. The new REP scheme which commenced on 27 November 2000 also includes a new provision for farmers who have some non-commonage target area land, including SAC land, but opt not to put their entire holding into REPS. By farming the target area land to the specifications of REPS Measure A, and following a nutrient management plan on the rest of the holding, they are entitled to payment of 242 per hectare on the target area subject to a maximum of ten hectares.
