Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

110. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 29 of 22 October 2014 if she has had or will have discussions with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine regarding the farmers still suffering the effects of destocking with consideration to the difficulties remaining in rebuilding stocks. [46857/14]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The 5-year grazing restriction in the Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex and Maumturk Mountains Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) ran from the 1 November 2008 until the 31 October 2013. This grazing restriction was lifted on 1 November 2013.

My Department has made detailed submissions to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with respect to the GLAS scheme generally and in relation to upland management of commonages in particular, through the Rural Development Programme until 2020. Dialogue is ongoing between the Departments in relation to the management of farmed Natura 2000 lands and the detail of measures to support the appropriate management of these lands.

I understand that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has clarified the maintenance grazing requirement for marginal lands, including commonage under Pillar 1 - the Basic Payment Scheme. This will be equivalent to one ewe per 1.5 hectares and must be met by all claimants by end-December 2015. A lower stocking level will apply where this can be justified on environmental grounds and it is likely that this will pertain to areas such as the SACs referred to. I expect that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will communicate the requirements for 2015 to farmers in due course.