Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

For the purposes of a single farm payment, one must be an active farmer. I am not saying that non-active farmers should be able to claim in respect of a commonage. However, the great majority of farmers who farm commonages, certainly in my constituency in Clare and I believe across most of Ireland, also farm lands that are not commonages and which they own entirely. Even if it is not on a particular commonage, once they are active farmers and engage in best farming practice on the commonage, they can avail of it. As Deputies Kyne and Ó Cuív outlined and as is common sense, if there are 100 farmers with a part share in a commonage, it would not be best farming practice for all of them to keep five ewes up there. It is possibly best farming practice for three of them to keep a large flock of ewes because it ensures that best farming practice is adhered to in that portion of land and that it does not involve having one ewe from 100 different flocks up there every year.

Once somebody is an active farmer somewhere and once best farming practice is adhered to under a grazing agreement, it needs to be examined whether this land is land farmed for the purpose of the single farm payment moreover and whether that could be used to qualify for GLAS or any other scheme the Minister might be minded to introduce in respect of commonages because we must recognise the reality that exists across Ireland. In respect of 100 persons with a share in a commonage, 50 of whom are active farmers, possibly only ten might graze that particular commonage but this does not mean that the 50 active farmers are ensuring that best farming practice is adhered to on that portion of the land in which they have a common share. This must be the central criterions from an agricultural perspective but also from an environmental perspective because part of what the commonages offer is the fact that they are a very important environmental asset in this State. All of our land is not just an asset for those who own and farm it. It is an asset for the broader public and there is an important environmental good to be looked at in making sure that best farming practice is adhered to regardless of whether it is in the Wicklow uplands, Slieve Aughty or the Burren. The Burren is an important tourist resource not because of how it is farmed but rather because of the rare geological conditions that exist there. They are artificial geological conditions brought about by how it is farmed. It is a very delicate balance that must be adhered to. I would be very disappointed to see the Government introducing a plan that might interfere with that or how commonages have been farmed for generations across this country, particularly in the west where commonages are more prevalent.

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