A point repeatedly made at the IFA hill sheep forum was that land deemed to be ineligible for direct payments often has the highest biodiversity value.

One farmer from the Slieve Aughty Mountains in Clare said there should be a break in the link between eligible areas for direct payments and those eligible to participate in rural development schemes.

Biodiversity

Niall Ryan of the Department of Agriculture agreed: “There are areas that are not eligible for Pillar I payments but are high in biodiversity and possibly should be eligible for Pillar II payments.”

He said the point had been made to the European Court of Auditors on a recent visit to Ireland and there was some traction on it.

However, Ryan warned that there was a fine line between land that could be seen as abandoned or farmed for biodiversity.

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