Progress in commonages pay talks

IFA Hill Committee chairman Neilie O’Leary said that progress has been made in discussions with the Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan and her department in ensuring that non-SAC designated commonages will benefit from the 17% increase in REPS payments inline with all other areas under the scheme.

Mr O’Leary said that the IFA have lobbied the Minister that non-SAC commonages should benefit from the increase in payments as the cost of compliance through destocking measures and other environmental works is quite significant in these areas. Up to 200,000 hectares was excluded from the increase.