The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) has said it is alarmed by an apparent proposal to introduce a “buffer zone” of 100m around active turbary areas on commonage land.
According to the organisation’s vice-president, John Joe Fitzgerald, this proposal has been made by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and would, if applied “have a major impact on the overall habitat score of these commonages”.
This, in turn, would see reduced payments to farmers under the Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), Fitzgerald claimed.
Turbary refers to an established legally-recognised right to cut turf on an area of land.
“On many commonages, active turf cutting is still a factor and this was an issue outlined last year prior to the habitat assessment of these commonages.
“In discussions the INHFA had with [the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine] staff last year, an understanding was reached that allowed for the areas where turf was being cut to be separated from the overall area and scored separately,” he added.
“This was also confirmed by Minister of State (for land use and biodiversity) Pippa Hackett in a parliamentary reply to deputy Rose Conway-Walsh,” Fitzgerald said.
The INHFA vice-president claimed that there has been “no reference” to a buffer zone around turbary areas in subsequent discussions with officials, and also highlighted that such buffer zones are not part of the terms and conditions of the scheme.
Fitzgerald said that the original solution to the issue of turbary rights on commonage land that was agreed – scoring those areas separately from the rest of the commonage – was “not ideal” but did protect the wider area of commonage where turf cutting was still ongoing.
“At a time when farmers are expecting payments to issue, it is unacceptable that farmers could take a major financial hit over factors that are in most instances outside of their control,” he said.
Fitzgerald pointed out that many people that are cutting turf on commonages “may not even be farmers, but as they have a legal turbary right there is nothing any farmer on that commonage can do to stop them”.
“Turbary plots are often spread across the commonages so when a buffer zone of 100m is applied there is a real danger that substantial parts of these commonages will get a negative score which will undermine the overall habitat score and payment rates,” he added.
The INHFA vice-president said that the organization has written to the minister and his staff on this issue and is awaiting a meeting.