Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the gentlemen attending for their presentations, which have given great clarity to an issue which everyone here is concerned has the potential to be very difficult to deal with. There are issues that need to be addressed, which we all accept. We are here to talk about the methodology of how we approach them in the best way possible.

As a Deputy for Kildare South, I will be a bit local on this issue and use my local experience as a way to get more information. The commonage of the Curragh, where farmers graze sheep, is used and owned by the Department of Defence, which controls it. A huge number of horse trainers live on the edge of the Curragh and, naturally, horses train there. We are the thoroughbred county and it is a key component of our economy. A huge number of tourists and visitors come to see it and local people use it as an amenity also. There are a number of issues at the Curragh and many things which need to be done better. The sheep used to be taken off in the winter, which does not seem to happen much any more. There are certain areas where scrambling bikes go and do damage. There is a very special grass on the Curragh which needs to be protected. There is poaching from horses, with some trainers being better than others in terms of taking care where their horses go and repairing the ground if they do damage.

We talk about partnership, but if that is not forthcoming one ends up having to use a carrot-and-stick approach. We talk about funding models including single farm payments, REPS and AEOS. My concern is that if one ends up having to use a stick, the only people to hit with it are farmers. What about those who use the commonage like the Curragh but who are not necessarily in receipt of payments and who do not have commonage entitlements? How does one actively engage with them and bring them on board? I saw the reference to Article 8 and Article 36 in terms of the rural development programme and trying to get more. Is there any other revenue stream that can be accessed? I was hugely impressed by the presentation the committee received on the Burren project. While that was done in a small area of the Burren, is it something that can be replicated nationally? Money is a key way to bring people with us to get the end product and results we need by funding oversight and continuous active management. The Curragh has great potential to bring in more visitors and tourists and to play a larger role in tourism in Kildare if we get this right. There are many benefits to getting this right, but there are also pitfalls. My concern is that farmers may be the only ones who have to face the challenges.