Mr. Flor McCarthy:

We welcome the decision by the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to withdraw the plans that were drawn up. As everyone has realised, they were totally unworkable. We welcome his decision to put in place an independent chairman. That must happen. Farmers in such areas are probably farming some of the most beautiful parts of the country. It would be a pity if anything were to happen to such areas. The management plan that we will put in place over the next five years will have to be backed up with pillar 2 funds and it will have to be a strong environmental programme. That is what has kept people farming in peripheral areas – disadvantaged area payments and environmental payments. The environmental scheme we have at the moment, the AEOS, is a poor replacement for REPS. Following the agreement in Brussels, we will have €313 million to put in place a proper environmental scheme. There is much concern by farmers due to the uncertainty over single payments. There is talk that their land will not be dealt with on the basis of an acre for an acre. At the moment they are facing reductions of as much as 50% because of rock and lakes, which are all beautiful landscape features, as deductions are being made for them in the single payment. We accept the situation currently but we are not willing to take any more reductions. That is one of the big concerns we have.

We need an environmental scheme because in peripheral areas in west Mayo, south Kerry or Donegal, the biggest part of one’s income is based on disadvantaged area and environmental scheme payments. In the context of the latter, I am talking about on-farm schemes. Farmers are willing to work to the plan if it is manageable but the plan being imposed would mean some farmers would have to reduce stock on hills that were under-grazed and other farmers would have to increase stock drastically. One must have the co-operation of farmers. An independent chairman and proper representation from the various areas is the way forward. We welcome the progress in that regard. We are willing to co-operate. Farmers realise all their payments are based on ground having guaranteed eligibility. That is the strongest thing we want. What we want from the process is that a person cannot arrive into our farms and decide that the ground is not eligible for payment. That is the greatest threat any farmer faces. We do not want farmers to be living in fear. We want co-operation, which is in everyone’s interest. I am glad the Minister, Deputy Coveney, recognised that there was a problem and put the plans aside.