No more REPS NO more SAC's

[fiannafailure]

No more REPs, no more conservation

The proposal to discontinue REPs payments will result in major challenges to Special Areas of Conservation.

These payments were a major part of the income of small farmers impacted by SAC's, the state in effect restricted the methods used by farmers to derive an income, as the REP's are no longer to be paid, can we expect these farmers to respect conservation measures.

Conservation costs, who is now to pay the bill

[adamirer]

No they are not. The SAC/SPAs and NHAs have nothing to do with REPS at all. They arent linked. REPS is a dept agri scheme, SAC's are protected under EU law under the Habitats Directive 1992 and Habitats Regulations 1997 and managed by the NPWS/Dept of Environment.

You have to be actively farming land to claim reps, much of the farming activity is banned on SACs, most of which are river sites, bogs, or coastal reefs. Farmers cant do anyhting about SACs, they are enshrined and legally protected.

[willoughby]

I believe they are linked under REPS however.

[adamirer]

I believe they are linked under REPS however.

Not really, sure, some farms in SACs are in reps, but thats just coincidence. REPS isn't there to compensate for SACs. The only established compensation for designation of protected areas is the NPWS farm plan schemes (particularly for in certain types of SPAs - the hen harrier etc) and the bog compensation scheme for raised bogs. REPS info is required for the NPWS scheme, but NPWS info isnt required for REPS, ie: they aren't linked.

REPS (Ag) works utterly independently of the Dept of Environment.

[feargach]

I don't like the idea that farmers get to attack the environment and wildlife if they feel they aren't being paid enough to refrain from doing so.

In other countries, if you don't respect the ecosystem, you don't just face losing your subsidy, you'll lose your land and get no compo.

[adamirer]

I don't like the idea that farmers get to attack the environment and wildlife if they feel they aren't being paid enough to refrain from doing so.

In other countries, if you don't respect the ecosystem, you don't just face losing your subsidy, you'll lose your land and get no compo.

If they damage an SAC they'll be prosecuted under the regulations, hundreds alrady have since 1997.

[fiannafailure]

Not really, sure, some farms in SACs are in reps, but thats just coincidence. REPS isn't there to compensate for SACs. The only established compensation for designation of protected areas is the NPWS farm plan schemes (particularly for in certain types of SPAs - the hen harrier etc) and the bog compensation scheme for raised bogs. REPS info is required for the NPWS scheme, but NPWS info isnt required for REPS, ie: they aren't linked.

REPS (Ag) works utterly independently of the Dept of Environment.

Admirer
Your info is incomplete

Teagasc - Environment - NPWS Farm Plan Scheme

I quote to you the first paragraph of that link

Designated areas attract payments to farmers through the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and the NPWS Farm Plan Scheme. For these schemes to work, they need an agreed approach on how to manage farming in, and around, wildlife habitats.

So we are back to the description I have posted before, the government, in cancelling REP'S payments have in effect, cancelled the income of farmers affected by SAC's.

If the government of Ireland wish to impose, a severe curtailment of the right to earn a living, on land owners who have made their living on such land for generations, without a means of compensating those farmers for the cost of conservation, then that is THEFT.

Once again, conservation costs money, is it just, to expect the poorest farmers in the country to pay for the eco conscience of the rest of us.

[fiannafailure]

I don't like the idea that farmers get to attack the environment and wildlife if they feel they aren't being paid enough to refrain from doing so.

In other countries, if you don't respect the ecosystem, you don't just face losing your subsidy, you'll lose your land and get no compo.

Feargach

If I told you that that you can no longer make a living at your present profession, but I will compensate you for the severe impact my decision has on your income and after a while I stopped paying, you would be ever so slightly peed off and would, I suspect call me a thief, You would be correct to do so.

[Fraxinus]

I'm not sure of the ins and outs but I think Adamirer is right in saying designated areas are independent of REPS. Maybe if a farmer is in REPS they could be allowed to farm on a low impact level within SAC's that they otherwise would not be allowed to do outside of REPS. So from that I would gather that if the farmer is no longer in REPS he/she wwill not be allowed interfere with the SAC.

[fiannafailure]

Fraxinus
please read the link

Teagasc - Environment - NPWS Farm Plan Scheme

and you have not addressed my point re who is now to pay for conservation