Not all farmers are worried by the imposition of the residential zoned land tax. A dairy farmer on the outskirts of Moneygall village, Co Offaly, said that the new tax may add value to his site which, according to draft maps, falls under the new levy.

With three acres of his land now zoned as residential, he told the Irish Farmers Journalthat while he wants to continue farming it, the tax may actually be of some benefit.

“I suppose you can’t have it every way, you’d probably get it back in the value of the site in a few years’ time if you wanted to sell it.

“The fact that it is already zoned would make it easier to get planning on it too,” he added.

However, he said that the tax, which could be around €1,500 a year, paid over several years would be a bit of a “pain”.