Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said he is reflecting on a turf cutting issue which has arisen in the new Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), which could result in farmers walking away from the scheme.
Turbary rights exist on many commonages, which allow people who have no share in the commonage to cut turf, Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) Vincent Roddy told the Irish Farmers Journal this week.
On the peatland scorecard in ACRES, he said that farmers will see their
https://www.farmersjournal.ie/turf-cutting-row-looming-for-acres-764337">score reduced if there is turf cut on a commonage and he called for this detail to be removed.
If the condition remains, and commonages are ineligible due to turf cutting, it could cost farmers between €60/ha and €220/ha.
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The turf cutting issue was raised in a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson Claire Kerrane this week.
The Minister said that he is “currently reflecting on the issue raised by the deputy, having regard to the environmental ambition of the scheme and the rights of commonage shareholders”.
Under the ACRES scheme, commonage payments will be results-based depending on the quality of the habitat.
“As there is a results-based payment associated with commonages of greater than 10 hectares, the application includes a commitment to have the commonage scored by an approved commonage assessor by a certain deadline.
“A payment will then be paid to that shareholder based on the score awarded,” the Minister added.
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said he is reflecting on a turf cutting issue which has arisen in the new Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), which could result in farmers walking away from the scheme.
Turbary rights exist on many commonages, which allow people who have no share in the commonage to cut turf, Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) Vincent Roddy told the Irish Farmers Journal this week.
On the peatland scorecard in ACRES, he said that farmers will see their score reduced if there is turf cut on a commonage and he called for this detail to be removed.
If the condition remains, and commonages are ineligible due to turf cutting, it could cost farmers between €60/ha and €220/ha.
Priority
The turf cutting issue was raised in a parliamentary question by Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson Claire Kerrane this week.
The Minister said that he is “currently reflecting on the issue raised by the deputy, having regard to the environmental ambition of the scheme and the rights of commonage shareholders”.
Under the ACRES scheme, commonage payments will be results-based depending on the quality of the habitat.
“As there is a results-based payment associated with commonages of greater than 10 hectares, the application includes a commitment to have the commonage scored by an approved commonage assessor by a certain deadline.
“A payment will then be paid to that shareholder based on the score awarded,” the Minister added.
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