Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for attending to hear my points. This is an issue about which I am very concerned. The question of the hen harrier is one that affects my part of the world in Cork North-West and in particular the areas of Rockchapel, Newmarket, Ballydesmond, east Limerick, and up to Clare and Galway. The issue has lingered since the previous Administration was in office in 2007 when it was agreed that the hen harrier would become a protected species. Since then, 80,000 ha of land has been designated for the protection of the hen harrier. There are 3,854 families affected and the farmers involved can only farm their land to a certain capacity. They cannot build wind farms and they cannot develop forestry. Their land is of pretty much no value today. Of the 3,054 farmers, approximately 400 received compensation while the rest currently receive none. There is a possibility that this issue will be considered under GLAS, but the farmers believe that is not acceptable. I agree with them as their land now has no value. I wonder if it is constitutionally correct for this to happen without payments being made to these families.

One of the issues about which I ask the Minister today is the establishment of a new steering group for the formulation of a threat response plan for hen harriers. It is the Minister's intention to place a member of the SPA on the group. I ask the Minister to give serious consideration to putting a member of the IFDL group on the steering committee to represent farmers whose lands have been designated for the protection of hen harriers. It is very important to include the IFDL in the threat response plan and to give its members a say at the steering group. Right now, they feel very let down, not particularly by our Government, but certainly the previous one. They are asking us to listen to their concerns. Farmers spend 95% of their money in local communities which has a huge impact on rural Ireland.

The farmers have told me that the hen harrier originated in Waterford yet there are no designated lands in Kilkenny, the Golden Vale, or eastern Cork which are some of the areas with better land. Farmers with designated lands are taking the burden for all the other farmers in Ireland to deal with the issue in regard to the hen harrier. They deserve compensation over a 15 year period in lieu of growing forestry. A constituent approached me recently who has land in Rockchapel. He wanted to sell 5 acres to help his son buy a house in Cork but found when he went to sell the land that it was hen harrier designated and had no value. Even though there was forestry on both sides of him owned by two different farmers, he could not grow forestry on his land. This is a decision he did not want. He is quite happy for his land to be redesignated if that is possible, but in the alternative he believes farmers need compensation. In order to at least give them a hearing, I ask the Minister, who is very close to this and has had questions from many other representatives, to appoint to the steering group a representative from the IFDL group so that they feel their voice is being listened to.

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