Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the way his Department treats lands designated special areas of conservation which are included in REP scheme applications; if these lands are entitled to the same level of payment as other lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42096/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are included in Natura 2000 sites. In Ireland these protected areas are selected and designated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. As part of the designation process, a series of notifiable actions were developed which include a list of activities that may alter, damage, destroy or interfere with the integrity of the site. In REPS 4 the scheme is designed to compensate farmers with utilisable agricultural land in designated Natura 2000 sites for the mandatory restrictions related to the designation. This compensation is reflected in a higher rate of payment for Natura land i.e. €242 per ha compared to €200 per ha for other land.