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

I never said farmers are not willing to graze. I said that decisions made in the past and the manner in which things have unfolded since those decisions mean that some land is under-grazed. That is a problem because the only way to manage this land is to graze it, and that is why we introduced stocking rates as a requirement for the disadvantaged areas scheme, DAS. We want to get more animals grazing on land that can be managed only by grazing. We introduced an island scheme under the new Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, to ensure that stock is maintained on land and islands where farming is difficult. We have examined other schemes to support farmers, and commonage farmers are a priority in GLAS because we aim to ensure that stock is maintained on land. Much of the land of which I speak can become unfarmable due to a lack of stock and, when this happens, it is difficult to restore it to a farmable condition. The GLAS plans are about working with farmers to get stock on land so that it can be managed and maintained in a good agricultural condition. This will ensure income for farmers and the maintenance of agricultural land in commonage areas.

It is not a question of farmers being unwilling to do this. Farmers were sometimes required to destock in the past, and this subsequently proved to be a mistake.

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