Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If farmers have to increase stocking density – many do and some have been destocked for a period – there is a need for a lead-in period over a number of years. The Minister appreciates that one cannot just go down to Maam Cross and buy 100 ewes or hoggets and put up on a hill; they will wander everywhere unless they are bred there. The stock needs to be bred rather than bought in.

Owing to undergrazing, the issue of burning arises. It is worth noting that the requirements and allowances in the United Kingdom are different from those here. There is an additional six weeks up to the middle of April in the United Kingdom. This could be explored, if only for a short period, be it only for one year or two. Is there any reason we have higher standards than those that apply in the United Kingdom on this issue? Where there is undergrazing, sheep will not be able to return heather to a positive state, regardless of how many there are.

Burren farming was mentioned. I am sorry I missed the presentation by the individuals from the Burren. When the designations were first issued, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, or Dúchas, or whatever it was called at the time, decided it knew what was best. It decided that all cattle had to come down from the hills in the Burren. What happened was that the hazel scrub grew. It took a number of years before the authorities appreciated that the farmers' practice was correct all along. During the early spring the cattle ate the hazel and prevented its growth, which would obviously have an impact on the limestone pavement, flora and fauna. The farmers knew best and that must be accepted in this case also. The best award-winning lowland farmer would not know what to do if asked to farm on top of a hill. It is a quite specialised and different farming system.

Recommendation No. 8 caught my eye. The committee urged the Department to make use of all available funding mechanisms to incentivise farmer-led improvements. It has been argued that schemes such as BurrenLIFE, in conjunction with existing REP schemes and the AEOS, should be open to all commonages where at least 80% of active farmers participate in the scheme. That is the first time I saw the reference to the figure of 80%. Obviously, the Department has been pushing it, but it appeared in the report. Perhaps this was where it felt it could go ahead in terms of GLAS. I am thankful it has rowed back and reduced the figure to 50%. I was at a meeting in Westport during the summer and was the only Government representative at it. It was quite heated, with the heat directed against both the Department and the IFA. I have been in liaison with the Minister and the local IFA representatives to try to sort out some of the issues of concern regarding GLAS.

I did not get to Maam Cross on Wednesday. It was a farmers’ information meeting, rather than a politicians' meeting, which is why I did not go. Other than that, I have no problem attending a public meeting; I have gone to enough of them to defend the Government.

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