Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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889. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the proposed requirement to keep animals for seven months instead of six months (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45827/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the 2017 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme, eligible applicants are required to meet a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per hectare for a retention period of seven consecutive months and to maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units per hectare calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year.  This requirement was introduced as one of a number of technical adjustments to the scheme in 2013 to ensure the continued provision of a more focused scheme. 

The objectives of the ANC scheme include ensuring continued agricultural land usage and the stocking level requirements are one of the tools used to support this objective. It should be noted that it is possible for farmers to obtain a derogation from the requirement to maintain the minimum 0.15 livestock units requirement where this is justified on environmental grounds.