Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The objective of the Commonage Management Plan (CMP) is to ensure that farming activity on commonages is carried out at environmentally sustainable levels to prevent both under grazing and over grazing and if necessary to set out collective actions such as controlled burning.

My Department provided specific training for approved Commonage Advisors assigned to prepare these plans. Detailed information is published on the Department Website for each commonage and includes the names of all shareholders, the indicative minimum and maximum stocking levels each commonage can carry and also the indicative minimum and maximum stocking density for each shareholder within a commonage irrespective of whether the shareholder is a GLAS applicant or not. The information available to the advisor preparing the plan should be sufficient in most cases but on assessing the commonage on the ground it may become evident that the indicative figures need adjustment because of the vegetative condition of the commonage.

To prepare the best possible plan to ensure continued delivery of sustainable practices and to support GLAS scheme payments for commonages it is in the interests of all farmers using the commonage that the total grazing compliment be established. This is important for all shareholders because if the commonage land is not maintained in an eligible condition payments under CAP Pillar 1 could be affected to the detriment of all shareholders. The only requirement that the Department has is that a sustainable management plan for all the commonage be prepared and it is in shareholders own best interests that the person drawing up the plan is provided with the best possible information. The question of GLAS penalties will only arise where on inspection non compliance is found and where further degradation of the commonage continues.