Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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100. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the way the €528 million originally earmarked for Natura land was spent; the changes that were made to the original agreement; when those changes were approved by the Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7391/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the initial Financial Plan for the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 an indicative amount of €528m was allocated to Natura 2000. The Natura measure provides for compensation to farmers for disadvantages in their farming activities arising out of 3 Directives – the Habitats Directive, the Wild Birds Directive and the Water Framework Directive. Natura 2000 forms an integral part of the REPs and AEOS agri-environment schemes and applicants with Natura designated land are prioritised under AEOS schemes.

Participation in agri-environment schemes, including Natura, is voluntary on the part of farmers and expenditure is therefore demand led. Actual demand under the measure during the 2007 – 2013 Programme proved to be significantly less than had been provided for.Therefore, the financial provision for Natura was revised to reflect the actual spend. This involved the reallocation of funds across the agri-environment and Less Favoured Areas schemes in Axis 2 of the Programme without changing the overall spend under that Axis.

The members of the Rural Development Programme Monitoring Committee were informed of the proposed amendments and amendments made to the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 were processed in full accordance with the regulatory and legislative process in place.

While €95m was expended under the Natura budget line this does not take into account expenditure under the agri-environment budget line that complemented and incentivised farmers with Natura land to engage with the agri-environment scheme. For example, a broad analysis of REPS 4 expenditure shows that the total combined Agri-Environment and Natura payments to farmers with Natura lands is in the order of €293.5m in respect of 390,000 hectares of farmed land.

Under GLAS, the new agri-environmental measure planned for the 2014-2020 programming period, expenditure on Natura lands will be continued and enhanced.  Natura land is deemed a Priority Environmental Asset under the new scheme, and any farmer with Natura is  guaranteed access to Tier One of GLAS. There are three principal categories under which Natura lands will be supported under the new Scheme,

(a) Commonages – where an enhanced payment of €120/ha is proposed (increased from €75 under the last programme);

(b) Privately-owned Natura, attracting a rate of €79/ha

(c) Endangered Farmland birds, many of which are located on Natura lands, and where some of the highest rates of payment are available to farmers who undertake the actions necessary for the preservation and enhancement of the habitats in question (up to €375/ha).