Farmers working land in the Shannon Callows, the environmentally sensitive areas along the shores of the River Shannon, may get more compensation for the environmental restrictions they must work under.
In what is regarded as a significant concession, hundreds of farmers whose lands have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and who are in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) can now also apply to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of the Environment for additional compensation. Until now farmers whose lands were in the SACs had to choose between placing all their farm in REPS or applying to the wildlife service for compensation on the SAC area.
The farming restrictions imposed on SACs include tight controls on the levels of fertiliser that can be used, and how and when crops can be harvested. It remains virtually impossible to build any kind of structure, even farm buildings, in these areas.
This led to the Irish Farmers' Association banning inspectors from the Heritage Service from these lands, and there has been a stand-off in the area for the last 18 months.
The former minister for agriculture and food, Mr Walsh, introduced the new arrangements before he left office last week. He said the circumstances in which these farmers found themselves were unique, and he wanted to do something about it.
"While REPS offers them substantial payments, particularly under the latest scheme which I launched on June 1st, there are still a number of farmers in the area who believe that REPS will not fully compensate them for the SAC restrictions," he said.
"These new arrangements will allow them to make a case to the NPWS for additional compensation, while ensuring that the environmental benefits of REPS will be extended to their entire farms."
Farmers who joined the REPS scheme, which was revised last June to take into account farming conditions on the Shannon meadows, are entitled to:
€242 per hectare on the first 40 hectares;
€24 per hectare on next 40 hectares;
€18 per hectare on next 40 hectares; and
€5 per hectare for each hectare over 120 hectares.
In addition, a farmer who maintains or manages lands identified as suitable breeding sites for the corncrake, in accordance with a scheme operated by BirdWatch Ireland, is eligible for an additional payment of €100 on each hectare covered by the plan.
Calling on the NPWS to set out the payment levels it was offering so farmers could compare them with REPS payments, the IFA said this was a very important next step.
The IFA's deputy president, Mr Ruaidhrí Deasy, said the new arrangements were of limited value and did not fully recognise the losses that farmers incurred in the designated areas.