Minster for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue fielded questions on the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), greenways and the Nature Restoration Law at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Irish Natura Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) in recent days.
The event, which took place at the Ard RÃ House Hotel, Tuam, Co. Galway saw hill farmers from Donegal down to Kerry participate in questioning the minister.
Minister McConalogue told the meeting that one demonstration of the government’s commitment to agriculture was the decision to increase the co-funding by the national government of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) schemes by 50%.
Click the video below for some of the highlights of the INHFA AGM.
He admitted that the scheme which has proven to be the most challenging to administer is ACRES.
“The one scheme that has proven a challenge and particularly complex to administer at department level has been the ACRES scheme,” the minister told farmers.
“For that reason, I intervened early this year to issue an interim payment of €4,000 or €5,000 in the case of Co-operation [CP] participants, to farmers to ensure they would get a payment.
“In relation to any instances where there is overpayments, to show flexibility and understanding with regard to that so that it could be deducted off next year’s payment as opposed to any payment that would happening before that,” the minister added.
The minister said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) is working hard to ensure that for the second year of ACRES, the payments are distributed at the dates outlined without any delays.
Greenways and commonage
The farmers at the INHFA AGM told the minister that there should be no compulsory purchase orders issued to farmers to make way for greenways or recreational purposes.
They also said that should such discussions arise in an area, farmers should only have to liaise with one organisation on the matter of greenways, as they have reports from across the country that more than one organisation is involved such as a local authority or Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII).
The INHFA members sought a commitment from the minister regarding public access that a policy be put in place to protect farmers.
“Make people aware, [who] come out from urban areas and enjoys the countryside and also enjoys the greenways, we’re not against any of that, all we want is protection for ourselves,” one farmer told the meeting.
“Let there be protection there that we wouldn’t be left wide open where people.. this thing where they stop off anywhere they like and walk wherever they want.
“People hear the word commonage and think that it belongs to everyone and they can do what they like. [Those] commonages are our places of work,” the farmer added.
“If we go into a building site, where we’re in some people’s place of work, we have to adhere to regulations that are in there. So we feel there is work to be done on that, minister.”
The minister responded by saying that it is important that all those involved “fully work with farmers” in relation to greenways.
“There has been good cooperation there and some really strong results in relation to how many greenways have actually been developed and farmers have shown a real willingness as well to work on their development,” Minister McConalogue said.
“But it is something we need to reflect on further in terms of how that process works and it’s important we’re sensitive in terms of how we do approach it and that we make sure that people do cooperate and move together.
Farmer willingness and cooperation is going to be key to being able to develop the potential that is there; everyone involved needs to be aware of their responsibilities.”
The agriculture minister acknowledged that there are particular challenges in relation to the way some people avail of the use of land, especially in terms of dog control.
He explained that DAFM is working with the Department of Rural and Community Development to devise stronger laws on dog control and how those laws would be enforced.