Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this today and for engaging with me intensively in recent months on the issue of putting together a CAP that will serve farmers well. I particularly acknowledge his representations on ensuring eco-schemes are available that will serve all farm types. I am glad to inform him that following the consultations I have done with him and other Oireachtas representatives, and considering the various ideas and suggestions put forward, I was able to announce an additional five eco-schemes. I also carried out extensive public engagements across the country and held a public meeting with farmers in every county to assess their ideas and suggestions, receive their feedback on the draft CAP plan, and discuss how we needed to update it to ensure it would serve the sector and farmers well over the coming years. There is now a range of eco-schemes in place which will serve agriculture, farmers and, importantly, the environment. These include: leaving aside a certain percentage for space for nature on farms; rewarding extensive livestock production; limiting chemical nitrogen usage; planting native trees on farms; soil sampling and appropriate liming; enhanced crop diversification; and sowing multispecies swards.

The Deputy mentioned the issue of milk recording within eco-schemes. The European Commission is very clear in its guidance that eco-schemes designed solely for the purpose of collecting data do not seem appropriate. That is the feedback we had from the Commission in respect of milk recording. We did explore the matter, and the Deputy and many others raised it with me. It was not regarded as being appropriate. However, I do believe there is a very strong suite of measures in place having taken on board the Deputy's representations and feedback from farmers across the country.

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