Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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453. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is legally obliged to have an agri-environmental scheme payable to farmers who have SAC or NHA lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44444/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The governing European Union regulations require all Member States to make an agri-environment measure available within their territories and Ireland is fully compliant with these requirements. There is no legal requirement that such measures must contain payments for any specific category of farmers or farming systems. Both the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and the Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) operated by my Department are voluntary schemes and provide for payment for Natura 2000 SAC and SPA lands and commonage land. Natura applicants have been given priority access in AEOS under the selection process and in both REPS and AEOS all valid applications received for Natura and commonage lands have been approved.