Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses here today. Some of the issues are reminiscent of those which arose in the Burren when designations first took place and the National Parks and Wildlife Service - or Dúchas, as it was at the time - established regulations on taking cattle down from the uplands, a consequence of which was that these areas became overgrown.

Also, there would have been changes at the time in terms of more part-time farming and slatted sheds being built. The result now is that BurrenLIFE has put in place a programme to try to rectify some of these issues. This is a situation where the people who thought they knew did not know and the people who knew were the farmers who were not asked initially about it.

I am aware that Mr. Brendan Joyce sent an open letter to the Minister some weeks ago in conjunction with a number of other groups with which people may have been surprised that the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association would have been associated, such as the bird watching groups, which are important because they have a vested interest in the uplands. I note that the ICSFA in its contribution mentioned that BirdWatch Ireland shares its views and concerns. Are the witnesses aware if those groups are putting pressure on their Department and Minister in terms of expressing their concerns about what is happening? As there appears to be a difference of opinion between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, what engagement have the witnesses had with those groups?

I have no issue with the working group. As this is the important year in terms of future payments, what is the timeline for same? In the event that a consensus cannot be reached, what are the implications for farmers if their eligibility is deemed to be less than in 2013 and if payments are further reduced following any future inspections? In response to a recent question the Department stated that the main difficulty in relation to land eligibility arising from recent inspection experience is the lack of any farming activity on some land, particularly on marginal land. I would appreciate a comment on that issue. I appreciate the witnesses have highlighted it in terms of the time of year of inspections. There are differences between commonages. There are those that were destocked and those that were not. In that reply, the Department officials said they were in direct contact with the EU Commission with a view to progressing the issue and looking at all possible options. I think they indicated that they are to meet this week with a view to thrashing out the issue. From the recent meeting which Mr. Brendan Joyce had with the Department, it is clear that the Department feels a certain level of pressure from EU auditors. Perhaps he would comment on what he took from that meeting.