Rocky outcrops and limestone pavement in areas such as the Burren and Aran Islands are a critical part of the landscape and “will need to be considered carefully in the new CAP,” Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said.

“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,” the Minister said in response to a parliamentary question on the issue from Galway west TD Eamon Ó Cuív.

Ó Cuív asked if such lands, where it can be shown they 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).

Next CAP

Minister McConalogue said that the Department of Agriculture is currently in discussions with officials from the European Commission about the details of land eligibility.

“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 considered carefully in the new CAP,” he said.

Currently, where a parcel of land has less than 10% scrub or rock, no reductions are made from the eligible area, he added.