Mr. Kevin Smyth:

I will speak only for five or six minutes as there is much in common between the two presentations. I will try not to cover the same ground. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures; I just have slides.

To put the subject into context, commonage land forms an important part of the farming enterprise of many farmers, particularly along the west coast. There is a substantial risk of land abandonment as undergrazing has become more of a problem. Undergrazing leads to an increase in ineligible land under direct aid and agri-environment schemes, and it leads to the risk of financial corrections being imposed by the European Commission.

We have a long tradition of farming commonages in Ireland. This area, by its nature, has always been very complex. Issues have arisen over legal rights to claim and there have always been disputes over the grazing of commonages. However, in the vast majority of cases, commonage shareholders have been able to work together on a co-operative basis.

Consider our objectives. The acronym GAEC stands for "good agricultural and environmental condition", which is the way in which the land should be kept. Where there has been undergrazing, it is a question of returning the habitat to GAEC, making it fit for farming activity and allowing farming activity to take place on the land. The Minister has made it clear that he intends to achieve this by working with the farmers who directly manage the lands, the relevant State agencies, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the farming organisations and all other interested stakeholders. It will not be an easy task but it is achievable.

Let us consider the context. We have had some details on commonages but we must ask how they fit into the single farm environment. Each year, approximately 4.7 million hectares of eligible land are declared by applicants under direct aid and the agri-environment schemes. Of this area, more than 330,000 hectares of commonage land is declared, representing 7% of the total. Interestingly, of the 15,000 applicants, almost 11% applied in respect of commonages.

The commonages are predominantly in four counties, Donegal, Mayo, Galway and Kerry. They form 71% of the total. What is their use? Commonage land includes both upland and lowland grazing habitats. They are maintained mainly by the use of sheep flocks. There are cattle grazed in these areas also. There are some special commonages in which Kerry bog ponies are kept. Such traditional farming methods will be catered for in the outcome of this process.

Let us consider the aid payments being paid on commonages. There are four. There are two direct types of payment and some agri-environment scheme payments. There is the single farm payment, the disadvantaged area scheme payment, the grassland sheep scheme payment and the REPS or AEOS payment. In many cases, some of the commonages are attracting four separate payments. The payments are funded in two ways. Pillar 1 covers direct payment, or the single payment scheme, which is fully funded by Brussels. Pillar 2 concerns rural development, which is partially funded by the State and also funded by the European Union. There is a primary requirement under these schemes that lands be maintained in GAEC. If the lands do not meet these criteria, they are not eligible for payment. That is a problem in its own right.

While overgrazing is an issue in some of the areas, as was mentioned, undergrazing comprises an increasingly significant issue. There are a variety of complex reasons for the undergrazing problem, one of which was the introduction of decoupled payments. Many farmers got rid of unprofitable stock and reduced their stocking levels. The age profile of farmers is increasing and farming has some very old age cohorts. The age profile of farmers on commonages is increasing. There are low market trends, resulting in reduced livestock numbers. The more attractive returns from off-farm employment during the Celtic tiger era meant that many of the farmers in question went out of farming and into another career.

What is the way forward? The only way to manage the common lands, be they upland commonages or lowland commonages, is to graze them. Continuing with the status quo is not an option. If action is not taken, the areas will continue to deteriorate, leading to more land abandonment. If this is allowed to happen, we lose valuable resources for farming, the rural economy, biodiversity and wildlife.

As I stated, grazing is the only method of managing the commonages. Therefore, there is a need to keep the land compatible with the grazing plan. GAEC will not be achieved unless the farmers who manage the lands are given a role. They have knowledge of the best methods for their areas. Therefore, there is a need for an agreed approach, and no other solution will work.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service, working in conjunction with the Department, has established a grazing plan for more than 4,500 commonages. There are some more plans to be completed, mainly in respect of smaller commonages. The task facing us is to ensure that grazing levels are appropriate to the individual commonages. We must tailor the two. The commonage must have a compatible grazing plan with the correct number of animals. To ensure that we achieve this objective, we need to have the input of the individual shareholders.

The other issue is one of flexibility. Grazing plans at the level of each commonage must allow for greater flexibility for shareholders. It will enable the active farmers to increase their stock to cater for dormant and inactive persons. It will be a matter for agreement between the shareholders, as has always been the case, to decide how best to reach the required stocking levels. It may be a requirement that professional assistance or planners will be required, particularly where the commonage has been damaged by undergrazing.

The grazing plans will have to cater for traditional methods for their areas. Provision will have to be made for sheep and other animals such as cattle, such that the plan will be appropriate to the habitat. An appropriate timescale must be put in place, but a plan must include incremental steps to get the land back into GAEC. The whole concept will be output-driven in that the assessment of the plans will be based on whether the commonage is in GAEC and, where appropriate, whether progress has been achieved on getting the land into GAEC.

What are the problems? Apart from ensuring the grazing plan is valid, there are a number of other complications, including dormant shareholders. In the majority of cases, these people are no longer farming. There is also a problem where current claimants on the commonage are claiming but do not manage or farm the lands. In addition, we must address the issue of whether these people should continue to claim payments if they are not actually performing an active role.

There are other issues to be considered. Many of the commonages have been significantly damaged by undergrazing, as Dr. Bleasdale mentioned. The resulting problems include land abandonment and the spread of scrub and invasive species. The lead-in times for plans will have to take into account the fact that the damage already done will not be addressed quickly.

We have to accept that. This is a medium to long-term plan. An appropriate timescale will have to be introduced.

What are the conclusions? The issue of the proper management of commonages is a complex one, as we have already stated. The methods used need to be carefully considered and an appropriate plan needs to be implemented. We value the input we will get today and we wish to see an agreed approach to solving this problem. Time is not on our side and we need to commence this work shortly.