Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy is aware, we are faced with unprecedented financial constraints and difficult decisions have had to be taken in recent years regarding funding of schemes operated by my Department, principally the disadvantaged areas scheme. Rather than simply take an across the board approach to cutting rates, I am determined to use this opportunity to make the scheme more focused. I am prompted by the need to ensure those farmers most actively contributing to the achievement of the aims of the scheme have their benefits largely protected.

I would argue strongly that the approach I adopted to the 2012 scheme is testament to this and the commitment I gave that farmers adversely affected by the changes will have every opportunity to have their specific circumstances taken into account is clear evidence of my desire to minimise the impact on the most active farmers. On a close examination of the detail of the scheme, one aspect which was highlighted was the change in farming practices over the years in certain parts of the country, specifically, in mountainous areas. Historically, support was provided to sheep farmers in such areas at a higher rate than in lowland areas in recognition of the additional burdens they faced. While the disadvantaged areas scheme has replaced for the old sheep headage scheme, this approach was continued and a higher payment continues to be made to people farming such mountainous land. These premium payments are available for farms of up to ten hectares. Deputy Ó Cuív was Minister when this decision was made in 2000.

I have decided to retain the top-up payment on the first ten hectares of mountain type grazing. In order to benefit from the top-up payment, farmers who declare this category of land will have to maintain a sheep flock on their holdings in 2013. In the context of taking a more focused and fairer approach to the disbursement of limited funds, it can readily be accepted that there is little argument against this proposed restriction.

In other words, the top-up payment Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív introduced to compensate mountain sheep farmers in the switch from headage payments to the disadvantaged areas scheme, DAS, payment remains intact. The only qualifying criterion is to have sheep on the land. Therefore, it would not be justifiable, given all the savings we must try to make, to provide top-up payments for sheep farmers if they do not have sheep. That is not an unreasonable requirement. We are protecting the payment and think the Deputy did the right thing when he introduced it, but we require farmers to have sheep on the land in order to draw it down.

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