Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates from Wicklow Uplands Council for their presentation. It was very interesting. It was equally interesting to hear from the delegates we had in regarding the equivalent scheme in Burren. We have to consider this matter in a way that supports rural Ireland, which is facing many pressures. Senator Mary Ann O'Brien, Senator Ó Domhnaill and others referred to the vision for this area in five to ten years' time. We brought in an EU directive which had a vision regarding the destocking of our hills five to ten years ago and we can now see the effect it has had on sheep numbers in Wicklow. We got that wrong. Some of the plants on the hills, especially the ferns, have grown wild, and their growth has not been controlled because sheep are the best animals to do that.

It is hard to get sheep back on a hill, because they have to be bred and trained to live on that hill; that is a long-term aspect in regard to restocking, and I agree with the delegates on that. I did not see anything wrong with the farming practices that were in place ten, 15 or 20 years ago but bureaucracy went mad in terms of what we did in destocking our hills. When the sheep were removed from the hills, I know there was increased biodiversity, with certain plants regenerating and taking over, but was there much of increase in the population of wildlife such as deer on the hills?

As a Kilkenny man, I know Wicklow well as it is nearly a neighbouring county. What percentage of the land in Wicklow is defined as upland? I remember when I was campaigning for election to the Seanad that I did not realise the time it took to travel from east to west Wicklow across the hills, as shown on the map of Wicklow in the presentation. It is a long drive to cover that large area late at night. I understand the position of the farmers in the area. I would say this is the largest upland area in Ireland and it has been a big challenge for farmers in the area to cope with, especially in the past two years when we have had wet and cold winters. The delegates said that 300 to 400 farmers were involved. How many of those farmers would be totally reliant on the upland area?

The delegates stated that the scheme should look after active farmers. We are engaged in the negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy, which are possibly the most important negotiations for this country for next seven years, and one of the stumbling blocks we find when we meet any group, whether it be EU representatives, Department officials or farm organisations, is how to define an active farmer. I would interested to hear the delegates' definition.

On the issue of burning policy, to which the previous speakers referred, I know that such burning cannot be done willy-nilly or at any time of the year but I do not agree with farming by dates, which, as we have seen in the context of the nitrates directive, has had a detrimental effect. We have an extension under the nitrates directive until the end of September this year because of the pressures farmers are under due to fodder crisis. The Department - whether it be the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht or the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport - should examine the situation and stop trying to ensure that farmers farm according to dates directed by the EU.

The delegates said that under the proposed scheme there would be an average payment of €8,000 to between 300 and 400 farmers. That would amount to approximately €3.2 million, which would have to come out of Pillar 2 funding - that is, approximately 5% of the budget for Pillar 2. We know the budget will be €313 million, which the Government will have to match, and hopefully it will match it to the tune of 50% or 55%. Even leaving aside payments under other schemes, nearly 5% of the budget for Pillar 2 would go to County Wicklow. Senator Ó Domhnaill said the scheme should be supported under Pillar 1. The Senator's party is proposing that people farming upland areas such as this with a flat rate payment and equalisation would be the beneficiaries from Pillar 1 under what is being proposed by Commissioner Cioloş.

Reference was made to Food Harvest 2020 and achieving goals. If we are to achieve the goals set, we must stock hills to the maximum and get the maximum return. I accept that it is challenging to farm in such areas because of the weather. One cannot have sheep on a hill unless one has a good dog and the sheep are trained. One must have a lot of co-operation between neighbours, especially on commonage land. I would welcome comments on the points I have made.

It is important to define “active farmer” and ascertain how many of the 400 farmers mentioned are totally reliant on uplands. It was said the average payment would be €8,000. Given that such farmers are in the AEOS also, they are starting with €12,000 and then there are Pillar 1 payments, flat-rate payments, which would not be too bad if they were along the lines suggested by some.