Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Possibly. One of the steps we are taking in relation to water quality is launching a new European innovation partnership programme and investing €60 million in that. That is looking at water on a catchment basis and bringing farmers together within the catchment area to manage how they come together and take steps that will make a difference. Likewise the signpost project is working around signpost farms in different parts of the country. That is the type of model that works. I am not so sure that setting forestry targets by county would make a difference. That is an individual farmer decision. Everybody decides how they use their farm. There is no doubt that collaboration in regional settings and localities generally aids adoption. I would agree with the thrust of what the Deputy is saying. It has been working where we have applied it and any other ways we can encourage that will certainly be helpful. The new ACRES scheme, compared to the previous GLAS scheme, has co-operation project areas designed around the co-operation project team, which is county-based. That brings farmers together to deliver achievements and objectives that are specific to that area or county.

It works and anywhere we can step it out or see potential for it, we should look to develop it.