TD claims inclusion of mineral soils under GAEC 2 is 'land grab'
Aontú TD Paul Lawless has strongly criticised the government’s decision to include mineral soils under the second Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC 2).
The Mayo TD claimed that the decision is "a blatant land grab that unfairly targets 35,000 farmers across rural Ireland".
He called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon, to reverse this "deeply unjust policy" and engage with the farming community.
The TD joined a protest organised by the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) outside the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) in Dublin yesterday (Tuesday, March 4).
The farm organisation is demanding an urgent meeting with Minister Heydon on GAEC 2.
Deputy Lawless said he fully supports the efforts of INHFA in bringing the issue to "the doorstep of the Dáil and the department of agriculture”.
“This is nothing more than a government land grab, going far beyond EU requirements and unfairly sacrificing small family farmers predominately in the west to protect intensive agriculture and big business interests," he said.
Deputy Lawless also warned about the wider implications of this decision, linking it to the government’s approach to the EU Nature Restoration Law.
“What we’re seeing here is a backdoor attempt to rewild land, paving the way for even more restrictions in the future.
"The government is once again ignoring the needs of farmers in rural Ireland. The critical point here is that thousands of hectares of good quality grasslands will be classified as wetlands and peatlands," he said.
"Essentially what's happening here is the department are falsely classifying rich fertile ground as peat soil.
"If you’re a farmer that has a parcel of land, 51% of which is peat soil, then the whole parcel will be classified as GAEC 2.
"This has major restrictions when it comes to planning permission and farming practices. The issue here is that land designated GAEC 2 comes with heavy restrictions.
"For example, rural planning permission will be significantly harder to obtain as well as the inability to farm this land for normal food production," the TD added.
Deputy Lawless said that Minister Heydon "needs to sit down with farmers and their organisations and ensure that GAEC 2 land is accurately designated".
"The minister needs to ensure that land is categorised correctly and that farmers can self designate that land in conjunction with the department of agriculture," he said
