Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 510: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in relation to the grazing stocking rate for an area (details supplied) he will provide a copy of what was proposed by the EU for this area to bring the Irish farmers in line; the proposals from Europe in relation the destocking of sheep from the hills; and if he will provide a copy of what was agreed between his Department and the EU. [41210/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Continued overgrazing by livestock in some areas has given rise to environmental problems, particularly loss of vegetation and soil erosion in commonages. In this regard, damage to the habitat of the Red Grouse in the Owenduff/Nephin Beg Complex Special Protection Area in County Mayo, has been the subject of a continuing infringement case, under the Birds Directive, taken against Ireland by the EU Commission in the European Court of Justice. The Commission has called on Ireland to implement measures and demonstrate improvements in this area and in other commonages.

It is for the appropriate Irish authorities, to devise and implement measures sufficient to restore this habitat and to satisfy EU Commission or European Court of Justice requirements in that regard. My Department, in co-operation with the Department of Agriculture and Food and the European Commission, has been working to resolve the issue of appropriate commonage management, which is made complex by the multiple shareholdings involved.

The two Departments have put in place a number of measures which are directed at meeting EU requirements fully. These measures include: full rather than partial destocking under the Commonage Framework Plans; a requirement for participation in REPS or the NPWS farm plans by farmers in the area; guidelines to farm planners on appropriate carrying capacities for commonages; and most significantly, a special closed period for all sheep farming on the Owenduff Nephin Beg commonage for 5 months of the year (November to December and mid February to mid May). Farmers are being paid compensation for additional costs arising from removal of sheep for this closed period.

In addition, my Department is increasing the monitoring of the condition of commonages and privately owned lands in designated areas and where appropriate will take the necessary enforcement measures to secure compliance under the requirements of the Directive.