The first 130 Area of Natural Constraint (ANC) appeals have been sent to an independent panel for assessment.

IFA Rural Development chair Joe Brady said the panel had been set up to deal with areas that were either taken out or trying to get into the scheme for the first time.

He added that the chair of the panel, Padraig Gibbons, said that if new information came to light to support an appeal then that farmer would receive payment in 2019 and into the future.

Appeals

In total, some 1,500 appeals have been lodged, with the highest number of appeals (570) originating from Wexford.

Farmers have been encouraged by the IFA to make an appeal before the 8 April deadline if they feel they have been hard done by in the latest ANC review.

Following the recent review, approximately 4,000 farmers will qualify for an ANC payment for the first time, with a large section of Limerick designated under ANC for the first time.

Map: over one third of ANC appeals from Wexford

Disadvantaged money cut by wild bird cover

First ANC appeals being assessed

In total, 1,500 appeals have been lodged and farmers are urged to get their ANC appeal in before the deadline.