Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 2: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will adjust the agricultural environmental option scheme to allow for a provision by land-holders who are eligible for the scheme to manage roadside verges to ensure against illegal dumping, maintenance of roadside hedgerows and ensuring adequate drainage of surface water from the roads. [17105/10]

Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the new agri-environment options scheme which the Minister, Deputy Smith, launched on 30 March, farmers will be paid to undertake identifiable and verifiable environmental actions and have a menu of options from which to choose. The actions are designed to contribute to the priorities of biodiversity, water quality and climate change. The Government has provided for the launch of the new scheme at a rate of up to €5,000 for approximately 10,000 participants.

The EU regulations governing the agri-environment options scheme allow for the encouragement of the sustainable use of agricultural land through agri-environment payments. The actions described by the Deputy are outside the scope of the regulations and cannot be included in the scheme. The enforcement of national legislation relating to illegal dumping and the maintaining of roadside vegetation is a matter in the first instance for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

I am confident, however, that the agri-environment options scheme will deliver many environmental benefits in other ways. I believe it can build on the success of REPS, which has done so much since 1994 for water quality, biodiversity, conservation and landscape enhancement. It has also brought welcome income benefits to farmers, with more than €342 million paid out to REPS participants last year which was the highest level in any year since the scheme began. Payments due to REPS farmers this year will continue at this high level. Farmers will continue in REPS up to the end of 2014. By the time the scheme finally comes to an end, payments to farmers will have exceeded €3 billion.

The agri-environment options scheme was introduced following long and complex negotiations between my officials and the European Commission, which determined its structure and content. Participants in the new scheme will be paid to undertake identifiable and verifiable environmental actions. They have a menu of options from which to choose those actions which best suit their particular circumstances. My officials have recently sought the Commission's agreement to some minor further changes, which I believe will further enhance the attractiveness of the new scheme to farmers. I will review the position in the light of the experience gained over the coming months in implementing the scheme.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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With the Leas-Cheann Comhairle's permission, I, too, wish to warmly congratulate Deputy Connick on his accession to the position of Minister of State. I wish him well and look forward to working with him.

I am disappointed with the Minister of State's response. If the scheme is designed with biodiversity in mind, will the Minister of State acknowledge that hedgerows in particular and road margins and the biodiversity within is being threatened by the illegal dumping of plastics, which, in turn, will have an effect on biodiversity over time? Will he also acknowledge that there could be an opportunity, through this scheme, for farmers to work in partnership with the local authorities to ensure drainage mechanisms are put in place? We could potentially have an arterial drainage type scheme at a local level and could also, by incentivising farmers to maintain the hedge rows, create from this some degree of income.

Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputies Sherlock and Creed for their best wishes. I, too, look forward to working with them. I agree with Deputy Sherlock in regard to litter being a difficulty throughout the country. Like him I, too, am working with my colleagues at constituency level, including the local authority, county council and tidy towns committees to address this issue on our roadways.

The Deputy will understand the difficult economic background pertaining to the announcement of this scheme. But for the heavy pressure applied by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Minister for Finance we would not have been able to achieve the introduction of this scheme. We sought Commission approval for the scheme, which was difficult to get through. The figures initially started at approximately €1,400 per farmer. Through the negotiation skills of my colleagues and intervention by the Minister for Finance that figure was increased to a level of €5,000 maximum. We must now justify and account for every penny we spend. This is a much more flexible and simpler scheme to operate. Like Deputy Sherlock I, too, was visited in my office by many farmers last year in regard to the announcement of the finishing of REPS. The introduction of this new scheme is a welcome addition. I believe the feedback to this announcement will be positive. I expect a large number of people will apply for and benefit from it.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I believe this is a missed opportunity. If the scheme is so diverse, is not a whole farm scheme and relates to issues such as tree planting, moor land grazing, lake catchments, mixed grazing and conservation of wild bird habitat then I honestly believe an opportunity has gone abegging to do something to stem the tide of illegal dumping and to bring farmers and landowners into partnership in terms of seeking to alleviate that problem. I accept the Minister of State's response.

Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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All Deputies are disappointed at the level of litter in our hedgerows and on roadsides around the country. This is an issue which I am sure we are all focused on trying to improve. I remind the Deputy that the scheme is being reviewed on an ongoing basis. I understand the Minister will be keeping a close eye on potential additions that may be required if systems or actions are not working. Currently, 12 actions are covered under the scheme.