Efforts by the State to purchase designated land for as little as €500/ac have been condemned by the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA).

The farm body claimed that the designation process had reduced the value of land by 80%, but it was still worth in excess of €1,000/ac and it accused the State of trying to buy land on the cheap.

Auctioneers contacted by the Irish Farmers Journal confirmed that the floor price for designated land was €800/ac, but that most was making between €1,000/ac and €1,200/ac.

“The INHFA is aware of a number of cases where the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has purchased or made letters of offer for designated land at €1,000/ac and in some instances down below €500/ac,” INHFA president Vincent Roddy maintained.

The INHFA said it was ironic that the State was not offering the market price for designated ground given that its designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or a Special Protected Area (SPA) had effectively slashed the value of the ground by severely restricting the manner in which it can be farmed.

The farm organisation estimates that some land has been devalued by around 80% as a result of being designated, pointing out that the base price for grazing ground had moved to €5,000-€6,000/ac.

“In recent weeks we have seen the Tánaiste Micheál Martin detail how the State should be looking to acquire more land for forestry and rewilding,” Roddy said.

“While we don’t believe there is a legal issue with the State buying such lands, we do believe there is an ethical issue with the State taking advantage of a situation where its agencies have been involved in the process that has resulted in the devaluation of this land,” he explained.

The INHFA has called for the State to publicly acknowledge the impact of designations on property values and compensate farmers accordingly.

“The Government and many others seeking to address issues around climate change and biodiversity loss have outlined the need for a ‘just transition’. A just transition has to be more than words and this is a clear example of where funding is needed to address a significant financial burden that has been placed on peoples’ property,” Roddy said.

Ballina auctioneers Billy Heffron and Karl Fox confirmed that the going rate for designated land in north Mayo was generally around €1,000/ac.

“You won’t get anything for €500/ac down here,” said Heffron. “There is a base of €800/ac at the lowest. Most is making around €1,000/ac, with the odd bit making €1,200/ac,” he said.

Fox pointed out that he had 51ac of designated land near Ballycastle which is currently bid to €50,000.

North Galway auctioneer Gerry Coffey conceded that he had valued designated land in the west of the county last year at €500/ac but he said prices had hardened since then.

“You’d be going nowhere with €500/ac now. The eco schemes have totally changed the market; commonage and designated land has become a lot more valuable,” Coffey said.

He claimed that “ordinary commonage” was now heading towards €1,500/ac given the payments that will be available from the various environmental and climate change supports.