Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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147. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount of money paid out by the National Parks and Wildlife Service to farmers in the Twelve Bens/Maam Turk complex in Connemara in interim funding for each of the years 2011 and 2012; the amount allocated for payment in 2013; if this includes payments covering the period from November 2012 until the beginning of the new agri-environment options scheme 3 programme; if farmers have entitlement to this payment on foot of the written agreement entered into in relation to the destocking of this area of Connemara; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20577/13]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Farmers in the Twelve Bens/Garraun and Maumturk Mountain Complex Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have had to amend their farming practices since November 2008 to ensure that all these mountain areas recover from past overgrazing. This grazing restriction continues until November 2013. The affected farmers have received payments through agri-environment schemes (such as REPS, Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS), from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service farm plan scheme, operated by my Department) for loss of income arising from the prescribed restrictions. However, due to the breaks in the availability of REPS and AEOS schemes financial compensation has been a continuing issue since 2009.

To address this issue, in consultation with the farming organisations and local public representatives, my Department has offered eligible out-of-contract farmers compensation for continuing to honour their environmental commitments during those breaks.

In September 2011, I announced an interim compensation package for out-of-contract REPS farmers in these SACs whose plans were completed after the closing date for applications to AEOS 2 in May 2011. These payments of up to €4,000 per farmer ran until the 15th May 2012.

In November 2012, I announced an extension to the interim compensation package to cover the period from May 16th 2012 to November 30th 2012, the closing date for AEOS 3 applications. Payment was based on the number of months that each farmer was out of contract in this period, equating to a pro-rata percentage of the AEOS 2012 financial package to a maximum of €4,000.

My Department paid out €204,883 in 2011 and €164,702 in 2012 in interim funding.

I have no plans to introduce further measures for farmers who have applied to join AEOS 3. Any issues relating to the acceptance into the AEOS 3 scheme or delayed payments should be addressed to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

In the period 2008 to 2012 my Department has paid out a total of €2,000,523 to farmers in these SACs and I am committed to ensuring that farmers are paid in respect of the commitments which fall to be met by my Department within the much reduced resources now available to me. Final decisions on the management of those resources for 2013 will be made in due course.