Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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586. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all commonage areas should be examined on their grazing merits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9271/14]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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587. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to the stocking rate of commonage, if it should be decided in consultation with the commonage claimant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9272/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 587 together.

Commonage lands form an important part of the farming enterprises of many farmers, particularly along the west coast. They also form an important part of the local environment from the point of view of bio-diversity, wildlife, amenities and economic returns e.g. tourism. There is a substantial risk of land abandonment as under-grazing become more of a problem. Under-grazing leads to an increase in ineligible land under Direct Aid and Agri-Environment Schemes and leads to risk of financial corrections being imposed by EU Commission.

The farming of commonages lands has a long tradition in Ireland. It is by its very nature a complex area – there are issues about the legal right to claim and there have always been disputes about the grazing of the commonages. In the vast majority of cases, however, commonage shareholders work well together on a co-operative basis to maintain the commonages in GAEC or where there is under-grazing to return the habitat to GAEC. My stated intention is to achieve this by working with the farmers directly managing the lands, relevant state agencies, the farming organisations and all other interested stakeholders. It will not be an easy task but it is achievable if we all work in a co-operative basis. It is expected that this process will commence shortly.