Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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241. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the various habitat directives are seen to impact negatively on some parts of the agricultural sector; if such impact is deemed to impede the retention of family farm enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49423/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Designations under the Habitats (and Birds) Directives are the responsibility of my colleague, Minister Humphreys, the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Such designations are put in place by the Minister to fulfil the necessary legal obligations to protect these important areas for biodiversity as required by EU legislation. From an agri-food sector viewpoint, it is critical that our food production systems are sustainable and accordingly we must respect the environmental sensitivities in our farmed landscape, including these designated areas where relevant. My department is committed to supporting the ambitious targets for enhanced food production under Food Harvest 2020 and beyond without compromising these sensitivities.

Supporting family farm enterprises in designated areas is very much part of the strategy. These areas must be farmed to keep them in optimal environmental condition, but equally, some farming activities can sometimes be detrimental to certain species, and these must be taken into account if the farming system is to be sustainable.

Following discussions with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and stakeholders, my Department has proposed a range of measures for the protection and restoration of biodiversity in these designated areas under Ireland's next Rural Development Programme (RDP). These farmers will have the option, under Pillar II, of joining the new agri-environment Scheme: Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme, (GLAS), as priority applicants when the programme is approved by the EU Commission. The proposed GLAS prioritises measures in these designated areas, thereby offering priority entry to the new Scheme to farmers affected by such designations. The proposed payment rates are higher than those set out in the previous RDP and will offer substantial support to farmers in designated areas.