Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will amend the three hectares of enclosed green land eligibility requirement in REP scheme four to read three hectares of farmland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19020/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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One of the eligibility criteria for REPS 4 is that a farmer must be farming at least 3 hectares of owned or leased land, but the rule is not absolute. Other lands can be included to satisfy the three hectare requirement with the prior approval of my Department.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 157: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will amend two voluntary supplementary measures in REP scheme four to include commonage as par to the 20 hectares for payment as otherwise those measures have no relevance in hill areas (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19021/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The environmental objectives of the Traditional Sustainable Grazing and the Mixed Grazing supplementary measures can be delivered only through a controlled grazing regime. It is possible to undertake these measures only on lands which are under the sole control of the farmer, which excludes commonage. Commonage land must be farmed to the farming conditions set out in the relevant Commonage Framework Plan and attracts an enhanced payment rate of €282 per hectare on up to 40 hectares in REPS 4. Subject to the separate conditions for the two supplementary measures, a farmer with both commonage and non-commonage land may apply for either measure on his or her non-commonage land, including designated non-commonage land.