Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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145. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will implement a scheme whereby a tax credit of €620 per hectare per year will be given on special protection area hen harrier designated land, applied where land has lost its total value, due to the Forest Service not issuing any further afforestation licences within the six breeding hen harriers special protection areas, to ensure that in a sale situation, it would sell at a price similar to a land sale for forestry value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43912/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the State has obligations to protect the habitat of the hen harrier and the EU Birds Directive (Council Directive 2009/147/EC on the Conservation of wild Birds) provides for the classification of Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Under Article 4 of the Directive, six SPAs covering a total land area of c1,671 Square Kilometres has been classified for the conservation of the hen harrier.

A previous Farmland Birds Scheme operated by the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht paid out €3.5m annually. In addition, farmers who joined the Green Local Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) were entitled to earn up to €7,000 under a combination GLAS and GLAS plus. However, in October of this year my colleague Minister Coveney announced a new scheme to be developed under the Locally-Led Agri-Environment Schemes. This scheme, when it is approved by the EU Commission, is expected to provide for payments for up to €23m which represents a major increase in public funding for the important conservation action being undertaken by farmers.

The proposal to grant a tax credit can only be of benefit to those individuals who have a tax liability. An individual with no liability would not benefit from such a proposal. It is considered that any State benefit for persons affected by the EU Birds Directive should not be applied selectively and the proposals being developed by Minister Coveney provide a more equitable solution and can have application to all persons affected by the Directive.