Marginal farmers’ fury at land eligibility issue
Chairman of West Cork ICSA Dermot Kelleher said farmers are frustrated where the Land Parcel Identification Scheme review has been most savage. He said there is confusion over serving the environment and agriculture, and uncertainty as to how much of the farm is eligible.
“There were repeated complaints at our meeting in Athlone, Co Westmeath, on Friday on land eligibility,” said Mr Kelleher. “Farmers can’t be expected to apply for a scheme where there is such uncertainty and risk huge penalties.
“There was a move to raise funds for a possible legal challenge against this totally unfair and unjust process. A group, describing itself as the Disadvantaged Farmers’ group, were seeking support for a legal challenge to unfair penalties.”
ICSA will discuss land eligibility at an Oireachtas committee on agriculture meeting today. It will highlight a contradiction where cereal farmers must devote at least 5% of land to an ecological focus area yet cattle and sheep farmers are penalised for having more than 3% ecological focus areas.
