Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 May 2014
10. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce an interim compensation scheme for farmers who were compulsorily de-stocked in the Twelve Bens-Maam Turks complex in Connemara and who have either left the REP scheme or have had their payments ceased by the National Parks and Wildlife Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20342/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraREPS and NPWS payments have been stopped for farmers in the Twelve Bens region. Farmers who were forced to de-stock have been left without sheep or payments. I want to know when the Minister will introduce an interim payment for these farmers. I know that Deputy Seán Kyne will fully support me in making this demand.
Deputy Seán Kyne has been raising this issue for quite some time, both with me and my colleague, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan. The discussions we have had with him have produced a good result, as of yesterday.
Will the Minister answer the question I tabled?
Please allow the Minister to reply.
The Twelve Bens-Maam Turks complex in Connemara is an important habitat that has suffered from overgrazing by sheep. Commonage framework plans had been introduced in 2002, but by 2008 it was clear that further restrictions were required to allow habitat regeneration to occur. The need for a more vigorous conservation effort was underlined by a European Court of Justice ruling in the matter.
One of the steps taken to address the issue was a requirement that all farmers in the complex participate in either the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, or a national scheme operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. In so far as REPS participants were concerned, it was necessary for the permitted number of grazing animals be adjusted in individual REPS plans. While my Department was not in a position to compensate for additional restrictions being put in place, the National Parks and Wildlife Service agreed to make a top-up payment of €2,000 per annum to REPS farmers for a five year period.
Both my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht have worked in partnership on this matter. My Department has fully honoured the five year voluntary REPS contracts completed by farmers in the Twelve Bens-Maam Turks area of Connemara. I further understand that, as of yesterday, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has resolved any final outstanding matter and is in the process of making contact with those directly affected.
I recognise Deputy Seán Kyne's input into this matter, for which I thank him. He has been speaking to me about the issue for months and we finally have a resolution, as I hope the farmers concerned will recognise.
Will the Minister explain how much money he will be paying farmers and under what conditions? They had their sheep numbers restricted in an AEOS or agri-environment options scheme plan but the restrictions have now been lifted. Can these farmers submit an amended AEOS plan since the restrictions no longer apply?
The changes were required in the case of REPS plans, not AEOS plans. That is my understanding. The payments being made will be managed by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, not my Department. The Deputy can table a question to the Minister, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, if he wants to obtain exact figures.
When an AEOS plan was submitted, it had to conform with the stocking levels laid down by the Department, but they are now redundant. They were removed at the end of last year. In view of the fact that these stocking limitations no longer apply, is it possible for farmers to submit an amended AEOS plan to increase their stocking numbers? That is the question and if the Minister does not know the answer, he might get somebody to send me the answer.
Yes, I will come back to the Deputy on that matter. We will certainly take a very practical approach to it. We are looking at changing commonage framework plans across the country. That process will probably be rolled out in the next 18 months. We cannot do it overnight; we will certainly not instruct farmers overnight. We will work with them in commonage areas to make the appropriate changes. If it has an impact on environmental schemes, we will have to take this into consideration. What farmers are being paid under the AEOS often has nothing to do with the stocking rate. However, if there are issues, we will address them. I will get somebody to come back to the Deputy on the matter.
I thank the Minister and acknowledge the negotiations he has had with the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, over a period to have this matter rectified. He indicated yesterday that he would instruct his Department to make the interim payment. Minimum and maximum figures were produced for commonages previously. When will farmers be consulted on the future of the commonage framework grants system?
This is a complex issue but one with which we have to deal. The discussion process is under way. We have been talking to farm organisations about the best way to do this. I have made it clear within the Department that we are not simply going to send letters to everybody in commonage areas instructing them that there is a change in the stocking rate on their commonage. As the two Deputies who have asked these questions know, within commonages there is a need for co-operation. Sometimes, however, this co-operation is difficult to obtain because of the personalities involved. Where possible, we will have to make changes in commonages where it is straightforward to do so. However, there will be some commonages where the challenges will take a little more time to overcome. If necessary, we will put a mediator in place to obtain full co-operation with the changes made. If the stocking rate changes, it impacts on everybody farming on a commonage and they have to act collectively. To answer the Deputy's question directly, it will take as long as it takes, but we are not going to rush and force farmers into a situation that is unacceptable to them. I expect the process to be rolled out in the next 12 to 18 months.
