The project team consists of representatives from Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs), with new members appointed by the IFA National Officer Committee.

IFA SAC Project Team Chairman Pat Murphy said “13.6% of the land in Ireland is designated as either SAC, SPA or NHA. While we acknowledge the role that designation plays in the protection of biodiversity and habitat loss, it is those who manage and upkeep these areas, the farmers and landowners, who ultimately pay the price”.

On the priorities for the SAC Project Team, he said, “The project team will seek an appropriate compensation scheme is put in place to ensure farmers impacted by designation are properly compensated for the farming restrictions placed on them and to account for loss of earnings and the devaluation of land”.

Other key focus areas in the coming months include the implementation of the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) Farm Plan Scheme, with members intending to engage with NPWS representatives in the coming weeks. The NPWS Farm Plan Scheme supports landowners to deliver environmentally beneficial actions on designated land.

The Chairman said “It is expected that 360 Farm Plans will be up and running by the end of the year. However, greater funding is needed to expand the number in the scheme, with increased payment rates to reflect the additional costs and burden on farmers whose land is designated. IFA insist that an enhanced Farm Plan Scheme must be funded through the National Exchequer and all farmers with designations who apply for the scheme must be catered for”.

IFA will continue to participate on the Designated Area Monitoring Committee.  Farmers should not have to suffer income loss imposed by designations without proper compensation.

IFA hosted an online farmer meeting on bog rewetting on Tuesday the 16th February at 8pm.

The online meeting gave farmers an opportunity to share their views in relation to the Bord na Móna Peatlands Climate Action Scheme, which aims to rehabilitate and restore approx. 33,000 hectares in over 80 Bord na Móna bogs.

See here for details of the presentations and discussions from the evening.

“Farmers have to deal with flooded land and farmyards. In some cases, they have had to move livestock because their sheds are flooded,” he said.

“Farm families deserve better than this.  Too many people in positions of authority have washed their hands of this issue. It seems that any level of flooding and disruption on farmland is considered acceptable, and there is no accountability,” he said.

Now we have some engineers and retired academics who want to create a river catchment that facilitates the flooding of farmland. IFA will oppose this cop-out tooth and nail.

“Any proposal that seeks to gloss over decades of mismanagement by drowning farmland will be resisted. Farmers will not become the fall guy for those who are unwilling to co-ordinate a proper river management plan.”

IFA Connacht Regional Chairman Pat Murphy has said the widespread flooding of farm land is putting a serious strain on farmers.  He has put forward a number of actions to provide practical support to farmers:

• Implement the farmyard relocation scheme provided by the OPW and administered by the Dept of Agriculture
• Fast-track of relief works at pinch points, with increased funding
• Teagasc to set up clinics in the worst-affected areas that would identify farmers who need fodder and set up a scheme to deliver the fodder
• Support services to safeguard the mental health of those impacted by flooding

“These are the priorities at the moment to get us through this phase. In the longer term, the authorities have to identify a co-ordinated plan that avoids the severe disruption that farmers and householders have had to endure,” he said.

“The forecast into the weekend is not good, with more rain to fall in areas that are already saturated. It will add to the pressure that farmers are experiencing as they work to keep their livestock safe,” he said.

Pat Murphy has put forward a number of actions to provide practical support to farmers:

• Implement the farmyard relocation scheme provided by the OPW and administered by the Dept of Agriculture
• Fast-track of relief works at pinch points, with increased funding
• Teagasc to set up clinics in the worst-affected areas that would identify farmers who need fodder and set up a scheme to deliver the fodder
• Support services to safeguard the mental health of those impacted by flooding

“Farmers don’t realise that a relocation scheme exists. The Department has to increase awareness of the scheme so that farmers with flooded farmyards can apply. The relief works have to be carried out in a manner that alleviates the problem at the pinch points, but doesn’t impact landowners further down the river,” he said.

“These are the priorities at the moment to get us through this phase. In the longer term, the authorities have to identify a co-ordinated plan that avoids the severe disruption that farmers and householders have had to endure,” he said.

While he welcomed the fact that the Taoiseach was visiting some affected areas today, he said there’s an element of trying ‘to close the stable door after the horse had bolted’.

“We need an immediate assessment of damage to determine losses and a financial aid package.  The fact that insufficient action has been taken to manage the River Shannon is a contributory factor in the current flooding crisis. I met farmers in Longford in the last week and they raised the problem of the levels in the River Shannon. With better monitoring, we could avoid some of the problems we have now,” he said.

“We need real action to protect farmers and other members of these communities,” he said.

IFA Connacht Regional Chairman Pat Murphy said the severe rainfall has created havoc on farms and made working conditions very difficult. The Government must co-ordinate an emergency plan to alleviate the situation.

In the longer term, a significant investment programme would be needed to alleviate the pressure on farmers living near the River Shannon and in other parts of the country.

He called on the Government to bring together all the various authorities and ensure that there was joined-up thinking, as there can be no further delays in taking the necessary action to address the issue.

“The Government need an overall strategy to tackle the flooding issue which has affected areas such as the Shannon catchment area and other river areas throughout the country.”

At a recent meeting with Heritage Minister Josepha Madigan in advance of the Budget, IFA called on her to properly compensate farmers for restrictions imposed on them with designated Natura land, through the reopening of the NPWS Farm Plan. This Budget move is the first recognition for some time that farmers have a burden on their land which must be compensated for.

“We have been in discussions with her Department for the past 18 months, with a deal yet to be finalised.  Critical to any agreement with Government is a package of measures including the re-opening of the NPWS farm plan scheme, which has been closed since 2010. The Budget decision should now allow this to happen,” he said.

“While a final agreement with the Department is close, the main issue for Minister Madigan is a meaningful compensation scheme for farmers affected by designations. The announcement in yesterday’s Budget must now result in the reopening of the NPWS farm plan scheme,” he said.

Padraic Joyce pointed out that there has some progress made in the talks on conciliation and arbitration to determine losses; the principle of payment for the provision of ecosystem services; a claims process where a farmer is refused consent to carry out activities on their land; and a commitment to conclude the Hen Harrier threat response plan.

Many of these issues have been dragging on for 18 months, since talks commenced on a new agreement on procedures and compensation arrangements for farmers with designated land.   However, the Minister must now get these issues over the line.

Speaking at a meeting with the Minister in Dublin this week, Richard Kennedy said, “We have been in discussions with her Department for the past 18 months, with a deal yet to be finalised.  We must have a package of measures in the forthcoming Budget which will see the re-opening of the NPWS farm plan scheme, which has been closed since 2010”.

“While a final agreement with the Department is close, the main issue for Minister Madigan is a meaningful compensation scheme for farmers affected by designations. The Minister must deliver on this crucial issue, as farmers with designated land throughout the country are being denied their rights to maximise the potential of their land, due to the severe farming and developmental restrictions imposed on them,” he said.

13.6% of the land is designated as either SAC (Special Areas of Conservation) or SPA (Special Protection Areas), impacting around 35,000 farmers. The farming and development restrictions devalue their property and leads to income loss and this land grab is not acceptable to farmers and landowners throughout the country.

IFA SAC Project Team Chairman Padraic Joyce pointed out that there has been some progress made in the talks on conciliation and arbitration to determine losses; the principle of payment for the provision of ecosystem services; a claims process where a farmer is refused consent to carry out activities on their land; and a commitment to conclude the Hen Harrier threat response plan.

Many of these issues have been dragging on for 18 months, since talks commenced on a new agreement on procedures and compensation arrangements for farmers with designated land.   However, the Minister must now get these issues over the line and farmers need a commitment that the Budget will deliver a scheme worth €10m.

Padraic Joyce said that these discussions will mean very little if the Minister does not deliver a proper compensation scheme as part of the next Budget.

Speaking at an IFA protest at the Department of farmers from designated areas, Padraic Joyce said, “We have been in discussions for the past 18 months.  The Minister’s lack of engagement on the matter is not acceptable. IFA sought a meeting with the Minister some months ago, but she has so far not met with IFA. We must have a package of measures in the forthcoming Budget which will see the re-opening of the NPWS farm plan scheme, which has been closed since 2010.”

“While a final agreement with the Department is close, the main issue for Minister Madigan is a meaningful compensation scheme for farmers affected by designations. The Minister must deliver on this crucial issue, as farmers with designated land throughout the country are being denied their rights to maximise the potential of their land, due to the severe farming and developmental restrictions imposed on them. 13.6% of the land is designated as either SAC (Special Areas of Conservation) or SPA (Special Protection Areas), impacting around 35,000 farmers. The farming and development restrictions devalue their property and leads to income loss.”

Padraic Joyce pointed out that there has been some progress made in the talks on conciliation and arbitration to determine losses; the principle of payment for the provision of ecosystem services; a claims process where a farmer is refused consent to carry out activities on their land; and a commitment to conclude the Hen Harrier threat response plan.

Many of these issues have been dragging on for 18 months, since talks commenced on a new agreement on procedures and compensation arrangements for farmers with designated land.   However, the Minister seems incapable of getting these crucial issues over the line and farmers have lost confidence in her commitment to delivering a workable deal.

Padraic Joyce said that these discussions will mean very little if the Minister does not deliver a proper compensation scheme as part of the next Budget in two weeks’ time.

Confirming the meeting for October 3^rd, IFA SAC Project Team Chairman Padraic Joyce said the Heritage Minister must ensure farmers with designated Natura land are properly compensated for the restrictions placed on them.

“We are looking for a package of measures in the forthcoming Budget which will see the re-opening of the NPWS farm plan scheme, which has been closed since 2010.”

“While a final agreement with the Department is close, the main issue for Minister Madigan is a meaningful compensation scheme for farmers affected by designations. The Minister must deliver on this crucial issue, as farmers with designated land throughout the country are being denied their rights to maximise the potential of their land, due to the severe farming and developmental restrictions imposed on them. 13.6% of the land is designated as either SAC (Special Areas of Conservation) or SPA (Special Protection Areas), impacting around 35,000 farmers. The farming and development restrictions devalue their property and leads to income loss.”

Padraic Joyce pointed out that there has been some progress made in the talks on conciliation and arbitration to determine losses; the principle of payment for the provision of ecosystem services; a claims process where a farmer is refused consent to carry out activities on their land; and a commitment to conclude the Hen Harrier threat response plan.

Many of these issues have been dragging on for 18 months, since talks commenced on a new agreement on procedures and compensation arrangements for farmers with designated land.   However, the Minister seems incapable of getting these crucial issues over the line and farmers have lost confidence in her commitment to delivering a workable deal.

Padraic Joyce said that these discussions will mean very little if the Minister does not deliver a proper compensation scheme as part of the next Budget in two weeks’ time.

The CFRAMS cannot focus on urban areas alone and has to be extended to provide flood risk management plans for farmers and householders in rural areas.

Padraic Joyce said the timeline for the completion of a project is too long and the Minister has to work with all agencies to get work done more quickly.

He welcomed the increase in the Minor Works Scheme from €3m to €5m annually. Along with new criteria for cost/benefit analysis, this should ensure projects which were on the long finger can now be supported.

The Chairman of the IFA Project Team also called for a farmyard relocation scheme to be put in place. It would facilitate farmers who want to move their farmyard to land which will not flood. IFA will be meeting the Minister for the OPW Kevin Moran on this shortly.