Maura Hopkins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House. As he has rightly pointed out, almost 100,000 farmers benefit currently from the areas of natural constraint scheme, which is very important. It recognises the difficulties associated with rearing animals on marginal land and attempts to provide a small level of support to ensure that land remains farmed and in a good agricultural condition. It also provides a welcome income support which is enormously important to farmers and their families. As we know, farmers in these areas must invest tremendous additional expense, effort and time to maintain stocking rates on land that is naturally constrained. As the Minister has pointed out, things are based very much now on the biophysical criteria set out in the legislation to underpin the new system of designation around low temperature, dryness, excessive soil, moisture-limited soil drainage and so on. Maintaining a minimum stocking rate can be very difficult with these constraints. With the recent gorse fires, we must understand the importance of the ANC scheme to help farmers to continue to farm these areas for the benefit of our environment and our rural communities.

As other representatives will be aware, many of the farming organisations have expressed concerns over recent months and emphasised the importance of the scheme in recognising issues and being fair. Senator Rose Conway-Walsh emphasised the point that the new scheme should include restrictions. I disagree absolutely with that. It is very important to maintain supports for the almost 100,000 farmers who are currently in receipt of that payment. They receive it for a reason. They have to farm in very difficult conditions and the evidence supports the provision of the scheme in a very fair way. That is what it should be. It should be fair and based on evidence. That is why we have the biophysical criteria now to justify and support it. We should not be restrictive. It should be there to support the almost 100,000 farmers who are in receipt of the payment at the moment.