The IFA is to meet with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan to seek compensation for 35,000 farmers restricted by land designations.

Minister Madigan agreed to the meeting following a protest at her Department’s buildings on Tuesday.

Padraic Joyce regional IFA chair for Connaught said: “We are looking for a package of measures in the forthcoming budget which will see the re-opening of the NPWS farm plan scheme, which has been closed since 2010.”

Almost 14% of land is designated by either Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Areas (SPA). Joyce said there needed to be a meaningful compensation scheme for the farmers affected who were “denied their rights to maximise the potential of their land”.

Talks

Joyce said talks had been ongoing for 18 months and some progress had been made on:

  • Conciliation and arbitration to determine losses.
  • The principle of payment for the provision of ecosystem services.
  • A claims process where a farmer is refused consent to carry out activities son their land.
  • A commitment to conclude the Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan.

    • Joyce said the Minister seemed incapable of getting crucial issues over the line and farmers had lost confidence in her commitment to delivering a workable deal.

    He added that the discussions will mean very little if a proper compensation scheme was not delivered in the next budget in two weeks’ time.

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