Amendments Made to Gaec 2 Appeals Form Ifa
IFA Rural Development Committee chair John Curran said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) made changes to the application forms after concerns were raised earlier this week.
GAEC 2 is the conditionality standard of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) related to the protection of peatlands and wetlands.
It formally entered into force on May 1, which means that any works carried out before that date do not come under the scope of the condition.
Under the condition, the maintenance of an existing drain is permitted and replacement is acceptable.
However, new drainage on never-drained parcels of land will require planning permission or an exemption from the local authority, as is currently the case under national legislation.
Curran had initially said the form appeared to "infer that appeals are restricted to those who plan new drainage works in 2025, with signed declarations and evidence of planned drainage works required to accompany applications".
However, following the amendments, he said that it is "now clear that all farmers have the opportunity to appeal the indicative GAEC 2 status of individual parcels".
He added that soil samples, geo-tagged photos and a planner's report are the core information requirements.
'Ensuring all farmers are given the opportunity to appeal the GAEC 2 status of individual parcels is essential.
"We've been getting calls from farmers since indicative GAEC 2 maps were released saying there is no way individual parcels were GAEC 2 land.
"They now have a chance to appeal the inclusion of these parcels,' he said.
'The clarification also makes the need for signed declarations/proof of drainage works obsolete.
"These requirements should be removed from appeal application requirements. There is no closing date for appeals,' Curran added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Agriland
15 hours ago
- Agriland
Watch: Farming 'the Rocks' in south Co. Roscommon
A new European Innovation Partnership (EIP) called "Regenerating the Rocks", based in south Roscommon, is set to launch in the coming months. The project has been allocated €1.6 million, with the aim of connecting old and new farming technologies to conserve the unique species-rich karst grassland of south Co. Roscommon. It was among 11 new EIP projects on the theme of innovation and environmental sustainability to secure funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the EU earlier this year. The EIP initiative is co-funded by the European Commission and the Irish government under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan 2023-2027. This results-based programme is a locally led project, involving farmers trialling actions on farms to ensure practical outcomes and learnings to better preserve this rare landscape. Agriland spoke to members of the Karst Farming Network to see what the project will involve and how they plan to protect the karst grassland. Project lead, Eoghan Finneran said: "The Karst Farming Network EIP was set up with the purpose of bringing together a group of farmers within the local community to create actions to preserve these rare grasslands. "It's a four-year project, and we'll be starting from September 2025, enrolling 50 farmers from the south Roscommon area, and they will be farming up to 5,000ac. "Really what we're looking to do is create a structure where farmers can generate an income from their cattle and sheep grazing this grassland, and at the same time be more positive in their management of them." Liam Kildea, a farmer who has grown up farming this land, described the history of the landscape and what it means to him to work on this unique grassland. He said: "From a child I used to come over here herding with my father, and I was always in awe of the landscape, because it never looked like anything else we had ever came across. "We have a breeole wood here which is an ancient woodland; we have doleens, which are sink holes and that's where our hazel grows. "The hazel would have been used here to build houses, so this area would have been very precious back in the day." A major problem in maintaining this grassland is the encroachment of scrub. Linda Gilsenan, an ecologist working on the project explained how they plan to combat this problem through area-based actions. She said: "One of the problems in maintaining this species-rich grassland is scrub, and if the land isn't grazed by cattle or sheep then scrub starts to encroach, and then we lose the species-rich grassland. "So, what we're looking at is using collars on grazing animals to target areas especially where there's bracken or scrub, clearing some paths, and then using remote technology to monitor how that action is working." The project will run in collaboration with Senus, a Roscommon-based environmental data management company. Some of the technologies Senus will employ to monitor these area-based actions will be remote sensing and drone mapping, as well as Senus Terrain, which will facilitate ecological survey data input and geotag photographing. A focal point for this EIP is community outreach and bringing local farmers and community members together to raise awareness about this rare karst landscape. One of the ways the project hopes to do this is through artwork. Nicola Bowes, the project's community and outreach manager said: "We've had great practice over the last couple of years. "So, we're probably going to go on the same realm, having workshops, art exhibitions, community events - we've even been talking about having a yearly festival." Bowes hopes these events will highlight and continue as awareness of this "beautiful, magical karst landscape" grows.
Agriland
4 days ago
- Agriland
Planning exemption for slurry storage is 'urgent priority'
The introduction of a "credible" planning exemption for slurry storage facilities is an "urgent priority", the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has said. According to IFA environment chair John Murphy, this is a "crucial step" in helping farmers to manage organic nutrients "more effectively and maximise the value of this important resource". His comments come as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its latest water quality monitoring report, which showed there was a 10% national reduction in river nitrate concentrations during 2024, 'with reductions observed in all regions'. However, the EPA cautioned that 'nitrate concentrations remain too high in many parts of the country'. According to the EPA's 'Water Quality Monitoring Report on Nitrogen and Phosphorous Concentrations in Irish Waters 2024', phosphorus concentrations in rivers are stable – with 'no significant change in the last year'. Murphy said the latest EPA report "shows that the collaborative, whole-of-sector and whole-of-government approach is yielding results in improving water quality across the country". 'We have seen a massive effort in recent years to refine the advice and support to farmers, so they better understand the pressures on their local waterbodies, to support them to take targeted action to mitigate the risks and improve water quality," Murphy said. "It is great to see that this work and investment by farmers is delivering water quality improvements. 'These results confirm that we are on the right path. "However, further progress is still needed - particularly in the south east and midlands/eastern regions - where nitrate concentrations remain above good ecological thresholds." Murphy highlighted the importance of ongoing advisory and financial supports, such as the Better Farming for Water campaign and the Farming for Water EIP, which "help farmers adopt new practices and invest in infrastructure to mitigate agricultural pressures on water". 'It is vital that we continue to support farmers in their efforts," he added.
Agriland
4 days ago
- Agriland
Farmers seek clarification on GAEC 2 appeals as 'concerns' raised
The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has urged the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to address farmer concerns and "move quickly to clarify the scope of GAEC 2 appeals". DAFM has launched an appeals process for the Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition 2 (GAEC 2) with details released this week. GAEC 2 is the conditionality standard of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) related to the protection of peatlands and wetlands. It formally entered into force on May 1, which means that any works carried out before that date do not come under the scope of the condition. Under the condition, the maintenance of an existing drain is permitted and replacement is acceptable. However, new drainage on never-drained parcels of land will require planning permission or an exemption from the local authority, as is currently the case under national legislation. IFA rural development chair John Curran said details seem to "infer that appeals are restricted to those who plan new drainage works in 2025, with signed declarations and evidence of planned drainage works required to accompany applications". "This is very much at odds with what was briefed to us at both national and stakeholder meetings on this very emotive issue, and as I understand it, what has also been briefed to planners recently," Curran said. "It will cause consternation and annoy many farmers unless quickly clarified. 'We understood that soil samples; a planner's report; and geo-tagged photos may be required, but this is a curveball altogether." Curran said that all farmers must be given the opportunity to appeal the GAEC 2 status of individual parcels, "irrespective of whether lands were ever drained in the past or not, or whether new drainage is planned in 2025 or not". 'We have been getting calls from farmers for months now since indicative GAEC 2 maps were released saying there is no way individual parcels on their land are GAEC 2 and they will very much be contesting it," the rural development chair continued. "They have to be given that opportunity, and where backed by science and soil samples, have the GAEC-2 obligations removed." Curran said the IFA has engaged with DAFM seeking clarification on the matter, and will "continue to do until resolved".
