Overgrazing by sheep, leading to the erosion of mountainous and hilly areas and the pollution of many rural water-supply schemes, has been something of a national scandal. Overstocking was encouraged by a system of EU "headage" payments, under which premiums far in excess of the value of the animal were paid for each breeding ewe.
Farmers, particularly in the West of Ireland, grossly overstocked in pursuit of higher incomes.
The situation became so bad - and the pressure from the European Union to take remedial action so intense - that a 30 per cent reduction in stocking levels was imposed on the six western counties in 1999. That drastic action was taken by Duchas, which has direct responsibility for protecting the environment in rural areas, at an annual cost of more than € 5 million.
Since then, the EU has been pressing for the introduction of a more comprehensive scheme under the Natura 2000 Initiative. The upshot has been the production of a Commonage Framework Plan by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Eamon O Cuiv.
As might be expected, the emphasis of the Department of Agriculture plan has been on the protection of farm incomes and the retention of the maximum number of animals. Such an approach, along with a series of complicated exclusions, concessions and opt-outs can be expected to minimise opposition from the farming community. In spite of that, the need for a further reduction in stocking levels, to prevent erosion and pollution, is evident.
Mr O Cuiv insisted that many farmers who were forced to destock under the Duchas plan will now be able to increase their flocks. Twenty-six per cent of all commonage, however, will require a destocking level of from 30 to 50 per cent and that figure rises to 43 per cent in Galway and to 65 per cent in Mayo.