IFA deputy president Richard Kennedy has urged Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to set up an appeals process urgently for farmers unhappy with the new map of areas eligible to the ANC scheme.

On Wednesday, the Department unveiled the results of a review requested by the EU, showing that around 700 townlands would lose ANC eligibility in 2019, while 2,200 would be included for the first time.

The Department also announced that an appeals process would be available to farmers.

Successful campaign

While he welcomed the result of "a successful campaign" to protect ANC payments, Kennedy acknowledged that "there are people who will be disappointed".

He urged farmers who have been excluded or were not included to bring their townland's designation to the appeals process.

It will be independent; it cannot be just a Department of Agriculture office

"It will be independent; it cannot be just a Department of Agriculture office," Kennedy told IFA county chairs and members of the hill and rural development committees at a meeting on Thursday night in Portlaoise.

"There will be an independent chair and an independent technician," he added, after leading an IFA delegation to meet Department officials earlier in the day.

Participants highlighted that the time frame is tight, with eligibility changes applying to next year's payments.

IFA rural development chair Joe Brady said the Department was hoping to have appeals up and running "shortly after Christmas".

Farmers whose appeals are not heard before the May application deadline will be able to tick the ANC box provisionally, the Department of Agriculture confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal.

All cases are then due to be completed before payments go out next September.

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