Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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888. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the total area of lands that consist of a mixture of scrub land, limestone pavement and grazing land on the Aran Islands and are habitats for rare species of plants and depend on the total habitat for survival and to thrive will be eligible for inclusion in the eligible area for both the replacement scheme for the basic payment scheme and for the areas of natural constraint scheme under the new CAP 2023-2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6605/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the new CAP 2023-2027, the Eligible Hectare is the basis for payment for all area-based schemes such as the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme (ANC) and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS).

As part of the Eligible Hectare, any land taken up with features such as stonewalls, hedges, drains, small ponds, or National Monuments is eligible for payment. These features are known as Landscape Features and no reduction to the eligible area is required as a result of these features being present on lands.

There is a second group of features, known as Beneficial Features, that comprises areas of scrub, trees, rock, woodland, and habitats. These features are important elements of the agricultural landscape, and the new CAP offers the opportunity for Member States, including Ireland, to include these areas within the eligible area for payment, once agricultural activities remain predominant.

These Beneficial Features may occupy up to 50% of the area of a parcel with no reduction in the payable area. For those permanent grassland parcels where the features are in excess of 50%, a reduction in the eligible area for payment has to be applied and above 70% in normal circumstances, the parcels do not meet the definition of the Eligible Hectare and hence do not qualify for payments.

However, in recognition of the unique landscape of the Burren and Aran regions, parcels that have more than 70% of these features can continue to be eligible for payment on the remaining area of the parcel. For example, a parcel with 80% of these features will still be paid on the remaining 20%, presuming that an agricultural activity continues to be carried out.