The newly-formed farm organisation – Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) – has taken the Minister for Agriculture to task on land eligibility inspections.

The group has issued an open letter to Minister Coveney expressing its extreme dissatisfaction at the method and manner that the Department of Agriculture is carrying out eligibility inspections on marginal and commonage land.

The group says that move is supported by a number of other organisations

The INHFA says Department officials have carried out land eligibility inspections on hills and marginal land that are clearly eligible under GAEC and in favorable conservation status but in the eyes of the officials had an insufficient farming activity present on the date of inspection.

It says these inspections took place in the period when those farmers were obliged to have cattle off the hills from November to March under their REPs and AEOS plans which was informed by their commonage framework plans.

According to the group this means is that farmers who carry out their responsibilities under their various contracts specified by the Department of Agriculture now face a penalty by the same Department in the form of land being taken out for eligibility after having carried out those contracts as were laid down for them.

The INHFA says the implication of these departmental decisions is that farmers reference areas are being reduced in many cases up to 60% and in certain land parcels up to 100%.

It says this means that the farmers must submit in 2015 the new reduced land area for their Basic Payment, GLAS and ANC schemes.

According to INHFA this in many cases will lead to the treat of land abandonment and as a result will decimate rural farming communities as well as eliminating the very important role farmer’s play in maintaining biodiversity in those habitats for the public good.

INHFA also says if this is to be the template for ongoing inspections then it calls into question how farmers and their planners on marginal land approach filling out their area aid applications by May 2015.

It says subsequent inspections on those farms based on this criteria could find them facing 100% penalties across all payments as has already happened on a large number of farms.