IFA Connacht Vice President and SAC Project Team Chairman Padraig Divilly has said called the decision by the Environment Minister John Gormley to curtail the NPWS Farm Plan “a breach of faith” of previous agreements on designated land entered into between farmers and the Government.

Following on from this decision, Mr Divilly has said that farmers should reject attempts by the Minister for further designations and challenge the imposition of farming restrictions on existing designated land. The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme was designed to cater for farmers who were restricted through SAC designations and where losses occurred.  It was the alternative scheme to REPS and over 650 farmers are availing of the 5-year scheme worth over €5m annually.

Mr. Divilly who was speaking following a meeting of the SAC Monitoring Committee at which he told NPWS officials that their scheme was important as it dealt with the specific situation on the farm where losses were quantified. He said farmers couldn’t accept any designation where losses were not paid for now that the NPWS Farm Plan Scheme is curtailed.

Concluding, Mr. Divilly said attempts by Minister Gormley to impose turf-cutting restrictions on designated bogs would be fiercely resisted now that he has “torn up” agreements reached with farmers.