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

I am well aware that commonage farming does not operate in such a way that everybody contributes the exact same level of stocking rate. That would be a nonsense. There are some very active farmers in commonage areas and some less active farmers. However, in order for farmers to qualify for a single farm payment, they will have to have some stock in the commonage area for which they are applying for the payment. That said, they do not have to have the same level of stock as, for example, their neighbour who may be much more active.

One of the reasons we have an implementation group is to explain that there are flexibilities here. There must be flexibilities because this is collective farming. Some farmers in the commonage will contribute less, some more but the average overall stocking rate numbers need to be appropriate to the commonage and the way in which it is farmed needs to be consistent if they are to draw down a GLAS payment with a GLAS commonage plan. There will be the flexibility between farmers. No one expects all farmers to have the exact same percentage.

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