Vol. 557 No. 1
177 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who lost some sheep quota under the destocking programme of 1998 and has since been receiving compensation, has been advised by his Department that they are no longer entitled to compensation or to have the lost portion of the quota restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21406/02]
Farmers required to destock under the commonage framework plans may either join REPS and accept the payment rates under the scheme or alternatively apply to Dúchas for compensation. The person named is not a participant in REPS.
178 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his plans to ensure that commonages are ringfenced where there is overstocking under the EU guidelines; if he will seek expert advice on the number of stock units which would be permitted to allow a commonage to recover; and his plans to allow a shareholder management unit to manage the commonages under the guidelines as set down. [21490/02]
The commonage framework plans themselves are expert professional assessments of the environmental state of each commonage and the level of stock that it can currently sustain.
Under the terms of a 1998 agreement with the European Commission, which allowed for generous payments to be made under REPS to farmers with commonage, the stocking levels recommended in the framework plans must be applied at individual farm level. However, I have recently announced a consultation process on REPS, with a view to formulating proposals for changes in the scheme which can be submitted to the EU Commission in 2003. The farming organisations and other parties to the process will have an opportunity to raise the framework plans and related issues.
