Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said that rocky outcrops and limestone pavement in certain areas are an important part of the Irish landscape and will need to be carefully considered in the new CAP. He used the Burren and Aran Islands as examples.
In response to a parliamentary question on the issue from Galway West TD Eamon Ó Cuív he explained that, “Within the current CAP, there is provision for certain non-agricultural areas to be deemed eligible in limited circumstances. The main example of this would be small areas of scrub or rock within the landscape.”
Ó Cuív had enquired if lands which support lichens for biodiversity will be eligible for inclusion in farmed area for the purposes of various farm schemes in the new CAP, such as the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC).
The parameters of land eligibility are being reviewed by the Department of Agriculture and officials from the European Commission. The Minister added that, “One of the specific topics up for discussion is the issue of scattered features such as scrub and rock within parcels and how best to manage and deal with such features.”
“It is clear that rock, and specifically rock in areas such as the Burren and Aran Islands, are a critical and integral part of the landscape and will need to be in the new CAP.”
As it stands, where a parcel of land has less than 10% scrub or rock, no reductions are currently made from the eligible area.
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