The Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) has today (Thursday, April 10) announced that it has negotiated two new agreements with ESB and EirGrid.

The first agreement covers compensation and goodwill payments to landowners for the refurbishment and uprate of existing 110 kilovolt (kV) and 220kV overhead electric lines on their lands.

The other relates to compensation and goodwill payments to landowners in respect of the placing of new 110kV, 220kV, 400kV transmission underground electric cables on land.

The agreement for the refurbishment and uprate of existing lines replaces a previous agreement and takes effect from September 1, 2021.

Compensation payments will be subject to landowner co-operation (and the co-operation of any occupiers) so that all necessary works can be carried out without delay.

IFA Infrastructure Project Team chair Paul O'Brien said the agreement provides farmers with an option other than the arbitration route, "which can be time consuming, costly and uncertain".

“It allows landowners the option of accepting what is on offer under this agreement, and/or pursuing their own claim through arbitration, which they are entitled to do under the relevant legislation," he said.

However, O'Brien noted that the farmer’s statutory rights are fully protected.

"Even if they choose to accept the payments negotiated by IFA, they still have the option of going to arbitration if they think the payments are not sufficient to cover their damage/loss," he said.

Under the package for new underground transmission cables, landowners will be compensated in "an early and structured manner" at agreed rates.

This will be subject to their co-operation, and provided they enter either a 'Settlement Agreement' or 'Option Agreement' and also grant a 'Deed of Cable' easement to ESB.

This package provides for an early sign on payment, as well as goodwill payments and also provides for the possibility of further compensation in the future under a loss of development clause, subject to certain conditions.

The IFA said that landowners will have two options available them under the package.

In the first option, a landowner can accept the cable package in satisfaction of their statutory entitlement to compensation.

Alternatively, if landowners prefer, they can instead submit a claim to ESB for consideration, with the option of arbitration in default of agreement, as provided for under the ESB legislation.

ESB and EirGrid have also worked with the IFA to create a code of practice in relation to cables.

This provides information for landowners on the various activities associated with the survey, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure.

The IFA’s negotiating team comprises four farmers and a lead negotiator appointed by IFA President Francie Gorman.