Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in cases in which farmers have had their stocking level limited in a REP scheme plan, a national parks and wildlife plan or an agri environment option scheme plan the level of tolerance under the maximum stocking permitted which was allowed by him in assessing applications for a derogation under the disadvantage area scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48259/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, eligible applicants in 2012 must have met (a) a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per hectare in 2011 (equivalent to 2 ewes per hectare) and (b) 0.15 livestock units per hectare in 2012.

However, in recognition of the environmental objectives of the Scheme, specific provisions were made for those farmers, who had a stocking density less than 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011, where that lower stocking density was as a result of adherence to lower stocking by agri-environmental measure. All applicants, whose stocking density was below 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011, were formally written to and given the opportunity to apply for a derogation on the grounds that his or her participation in one of the above measures resulted in the lower stocking density.

In excess of 10,000 farmers were written to and, of these, almost 9,500 sought derogation. Applicants were invited to apply for derogation under one or more of six categories, one of which – Category 1 – was specifically for those whose farming activity had been restricted by virtue of adherence to a recognised agri-environmental plan.