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

That is a very fair point. We are trying to introduce a basic minimum stocking rate that everybody has to apply. However, in many commonage areas we want to encourage farmers to put considerably more stock on it. The stocking rate is about proving a minimum level of agricultural activity. I hope everybody agrees that we should focus our financial supports on active farmers as opposed to people who are lucky enough to inherit some land, a shareholding in a commonage or whatever. We are trying to link proof of active farming with a very low stocking rate. However, after that, whether through GLAS plans or other discussions with commonage farmers, we should be encouraging an appropriate stocking rate on that commonage area based on what it can carry. In most cases that will go way beyond the minimum stocking rate because otherwise we will continue to have undergrazing, more land being ungrazeable and therefore in effect the size of commonages shrinking because large parts will no longer be in an agricultural condition.

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