Batt O'Keeffe (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. As my Department has the lead role in matters involved in this question I am pleased to respond.

In June 2002 the European Commission secured a judgment against Ireland in the European Court of Justice, in case C117/00. The case, which focused on the Owenduff and Nephin Beg areas of County Mayo, was taken under the birds directive and concerned the extent to which the habitat of the red grouse was compromised by the overgrazing of sheep. Since that time considerable work, designed to address the issue of overgrazing, has been carried out by my Department and by the Department of Agriculture and Food. The work mainly finds expression in the production of commonage framework plans. These agri-environmental plans relate to just under 500,000 hectares of commonage land throughout the county including the Owenduff and the Nephin Beg area.

Having regard to the extent of environmental damage and the stocking levels currently on the land in question these lands produce a destocking requirement for each commonage. These requirements range from fairly low levels in commonage areas that are lightly damaged to 70% and higher in areas that are severely damaged. The actual destocking requirements in CFPs are to be monitored and revised at regular intervals and are to have regard to the success or otherwise of measures that have already taken place on each of these commonages. Recent monitoring carried out in severely damaged areas of Owenduff and Nephin Beg has shown that considerable damage is still in evidence. Accordingly it is not possible at this time to revise downwards the full destocking requirement specified in the CFP plans.

My Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food are in ongoing contact with the European Commission on the subject of our response to the judgment of the European Court. A fundamental element of that response is that the destocking prescriptions in the Owenduff and Nephin Beg areas and elsewhere will be implemented. For individual landowners the implementation of these destocking requirements will be met through REP plans or, alternatively, through a plan drawn up under my Department's farm plan scheme.

Approximately 60% of sheep farmers grazing the complex participate in the rural environment protection scheme, REPS, operated by the Department of Agriculture and Food. REPS is a voluntary scheme and participants with commonage land must comply with the commonage framework plan grazing requirements. The scheme will continue to make a positive contribution to specific environmental objectives and will continue to complement actions taken by my Department to address this serious issue.

Implementation of the commonage framework plans commenced in 2002. Where a commonage framework plan required destocking in excess of 50% in that year it was capped at 50%. The overall plan was to rise to a maximum of 60% in following years until such time as a reassessment of the commonage was undertaken. In recent consultations with farming representatives it was reiterated that the recovery plan for theOwenduff area will continue to require an annual period of total destocking. My Department remains in negotiation with farming representatives about the precise duration of this destocking period and I am confident that a resolution can be found shortly which will be acceptable to both sides and credible in terms of our obligations under the European Court of Justice judgment.

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