Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We engaged very closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, and across Government Departments. The Deputy is right that co-operation measures are the way to go here. There are lots of steps we need to take on land management but also birdlife management and providing habitats that require farmers to work together. That is why the co-operation measures are in place. Working with other agencies, we assessed the land as regards what is included in ACRES. We need to consider how we can develop that in the time ahead. People are now signing up to their five-year programmes for ACRES and they are getting offers with regard to the commitments they have made. I will certainly keep this matter under review. We need to continue to work across the board to identify what the priorities and opportunities are and where we can work together to achieve those. I will be as flexible as I can but the five-year commitments currently being provided are based on the existing platform.