IFA President says Achill farmers should not be penalised for gorse fires

The new President of the IFA has given a commitment to hill farmers in Achill that he will raise the issue of farmers being penalised as a result of commonage fires directly with the Minister for Agriculture.

A number of hill farmers in the Valley on Achill Island have lost an average of €1,000 each in payments as a result of gorse fires on commonage last spring even though gardaí confirmed that the fire is not being investigated as a criminal act.

The issue was raised with Francie Gorman, the new President of the IFA at a meeting with farmers in Achill on Thursday afternoon. He was informed that farmers were being automatically penalised for fires without proof they had anything to do with it.

Addressing the farmers, Mr Gorman said that gorse fires are a major issue in his own county of Laois and it is not right that farmers are being penalised.

“Burning is an issue I will have to raise with the Minister and the Department of Agriculture because it is not good enough. It is not just an issue here it is an issue in Co Laois and in Co Kerry and anywhere you have commonage. For me it is just not good enough that farmers are being found guilty straight off and their payments held up. It is a huge issue and is something we will have to try and address,” he said.

A delegation of Achill farmers who were penalised as a result of gorse fires met with the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue in November but they felt nothing of value came from it.

“No farmer is out to burn commonage,” said Newport-based IFA Hill Chairman Pat Chambers who led the delegation. “The department should say they are not going to penalise any farmer who is not responsible for the fires. They [farmers] are the ones putting them out,” he told the meeting.

Roy O'Brien, the regional development officer with the IFA said at the moment the only way affected farmers are to receive their payments is to lodge an appeal with the department.

“I know you are not starting the fires...[but] to get that through to a department individual is like knocking dead against that door but that is what you have to do,” he said.

Brendan Golden, IFA Connacht Chairperson also agreed with a suggestion that the local IFA should log gorse fires when they happen to show farmers were not responsible.

The meeting in Ted's Bar in Cashel covered a wide range of topics which are affecting farmers in Achill with some concerned that production agriculture will be compromised in favour of environmental farming.

IFA President Francie Gorman presents Achill farmer Tom Fadian with honourary life membership of the IFA

Another issue raised was the future extension of the Greenway through Achill towards Keel which is expected to go through a large sway of commonage on the Mission estate which has over 500 landowners. Questions were asked of who would be entitled to a 'goodwill payment' agreed to farmers affected by greenways.

Roy O'Brien said that landowners will have to show proof of title to avail of any payments and without it they will not receive any.

“You have to come in with your folio to show you have a share of it [commonage] and unless you produce that there will be no money issued. It is about proof of ownership and that includes shares of the commonage and rented shares are no good,” he said.