| IFA President John Bryan has secured a commitment that the Commonage Framework Plans, which have set stocking levels on up to 500,000 hectares of common land throughout the country for the past 10 years, are to be reviewed. Speaking following a meeting with the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, the IFA President said the Framework Plans led to massive destocking on commonage land mainly in the west of Ireland. This review will take place over the next number of months and IFA will be insisting that a significant number of commonage farmers be allowed to increase their stock numbers, allowing greater opportunities for hill farmers. Speaking at the same meeting, IFA SAC Project Team Chairman, Padraic Divilly, called on the Minister to ensure that where restrictions are imposed on SAC designated land, that compensation must be put in place. He reminded Minister Deenihan of previous SAC agreements dating back to 1997 which clearly stated that “a fair and proper level of compensation shall be paid for any costs or losses of income or value which results from restrictions on farming or other existing activities”. This commitment must be honoured as there is much disquiet that the Government is rowing back on previous commitments. On turf cutting, Mr. Divilly told Minister Deenihan that the compensation on offer for turf cutting restrictions on 31 raised bogs did not go far enough. He called for a comprehensive package of increased compensation, relocation to adjoining non-designated bogs and cutting of turf for domestic purposes. |
Tuesday, 03 May 2011 15:52