Hill Farming Council Report March 2025

Policy proposals for approval by National Council – n/a

Market Report (if relevant)

ACRES: 

• To March 5^th, €189.9m advance 2024 payments have been issued to 43,822 farmers [36,361 Tranche 1; 7,461 Tranche 2]. This represents 81% of all ACRES participants, with 10,453 still outstanding [Note: 2,751 of these are also waiting on balancing 2023 payment]. 
  • Payment runs to issue every 10-14 days – the next week commencing 10^th March for balancing 2023 payments (c.750 payments expected) and week commencing 17^th March 2025 for advance 2024 payments. 
  • DAFM target clearing vast majority of outstanding payments by end May 2025, and most complex by end June 2025. 
  • Some of the issues behind delayed payment include: Contract and ownership / partnership issues; Issues with scorecards (incorrect score, scorecards not submitted, alignment of scorecards with BISS data); Non-alignment of ACRES data with latest BISS information; DAFM IT issues; non-submission of LESS/Soil Sample; Rare Breed certification; non-completion of mandatory education requirements. 
  • Balancing 2024 payments to commence mid-May 2025. 
  • Decisions on second round of NPI’s expected end April 2025. DAFM working on developing NPI claims & payments system currently – expected fully functional for payments end Q3/4 2025. 
  • Landscape Actions currently being designed/costed. Expected open for applications Q3/4 2025.

Comhairle na Tuaithe:

IFA continues to participate on Comhairle na Tuaithe and many of its sub-groups:

• Strategy Implementation Oversight Group: Satisfied Actions per National Outdoor Recreation Strategy (NORS) broadly on track. Plan to evaluate role/baseline input of County Outdoor Recreation Officer (6 in place); review funding/structures in place around County Outdoor Recreation Plans; Mid-term Review of NORS. Next National Outdoor Recreation Conference taking place June 26^th in Radison Hotel, Limerick.
  • Sustainable Uplands Recreation Scheme: Site visits completed on x3 projects seeking to join Mountain Access Project (Mount Errigal; Comeragh Mts; Croagh Patrick). Pilot Uplands Recreation Scheme for MAP participants (McGillycuddy Reeks only currently) designed. Structure / payments to align with that of the Walks Scheme, albeit with greater number of hours available, and works (per agreed Work Plan) including Community Engagement aspects and Structural Maintenance aspects. Engagement with landowners ongoing. 
  • Responsible Behaviour Sub-group: Draft report from ‘Behaviouralist’ research group on Responsible Behaviour in the Outdoors complete and shared with stakeholders for input. Next phase is designing Comms Strategy around same. Plan to do x3 Focus Groups to include: those working on the ground re Recreation in the Outdoors (incl landowners); Users of the Outdoors; Mix of both ‘Workers’ and ‘Users’
  • Visitor Management Working Group: Stakeholder workshop held 11/02. A lot of complex issues raised. Aim to develop support documentation re developing Good Visitor Management Plan (incl examples)
  • Access: CnaT undertook study on international approaches and models for physical access. Experiences in Ireland not hugely different to those internationally, with Permissive/Legislative approaches predominantly utilised. Geography; History; Culture; Agriculture (type & intensity) all important considerations. 
  • Walks Scheme: 97 of target 142 walks fully operational; 33 expressions of interest to join Walks Scheme received. Under review currently. New Rural Outdoor Officer (ROO) appointed for Monaghan (22 in place currently). Progress has been slow along Dingle Way. Part-time worker now in place to support ROO re landowner engagement. Progress along East Clare Way also slow. Up and running now.
  • Storm Ewoyn: Significant damage done to Waterways Ireland and Coillte Recreational sites. Coillte noted 24k hectares lost (previous worst was Storm Darwin – 8k hectares damaged) broadly 50:50 Coillte : Private landowners. 72 of 260 Coillte recreational sites remain closed (50% among highest used sites).     

Activity since last National Council

• Attended Symposium on Upland Farming & Landscape Management (12/11)
• Attended inaugural Comhairle na Tuaithe sub-group Visitor Management Meeting (18/01)
• Attended Comhairle na Tuaithe sub-group National Outdoors Recreation Strategy Implementation Oversight Group meeting (21/11)
• Attended Designated Area Monitoring Committee (02/12) – IFA insisted that there must be no new designations; there needs to be meaningful consultation with farmers on the problems of designated land and permanent, adequate compensation delivered to farmers whose income and property values are affected by designations. NRL activities on voluntary basis only.
• Attended Teagasc Outlook 2025 conference
• Attended Comhairle na Tuaithe meeting, Tullamore Court Hotel 
• Attended DAFM ACRES Review meeting – input centred around IFA submission (enclosed)
• Online meeting with DAFM (19/12) re implementation of GAEC-2 
• Attended Online CSP Monitoring Committee meeting re implementation of GAEC-2 (10/01) – IFA submission enclosed
• Attended monthly Responsible Behaviour Group (15/01)
• Online meeting held with Failte Ireland representatives re Beara Breifne Way (17/01)
• Online meeting with Comhairle na Tuaithe employed ‘Behaviouralist’ researchers re Responsible Behaviour in the Outdoors – Dog Control; Preservation of Rights/Respect of Landowners; Insurance Indemnity; Fire Control and Invasive Species were IFA priorities
• Joint Online meeting with Rural Development, Hill & SAC Project Team re GAEC-2 (21/01)
• Letter to Minister Heydon re Urgent Delivery of Outstanding ACRES payments (04/02)
• Meeting with Minister Heydon & Senior DAFM officials re GAEC-2 (06/02)
• Attended Comhairle na Tuaithe Visitor Management meeting, Sligo (11/02)
• Joint Hill Farming Committee & SAC Project Team meeting held in Irish Farm Centre (12/02). Guest speakers included Failte Ireland (Beara Breifne Way); Paul O’Brien (Greenways); Geraldine O’Sullivan (NRL)
• Attended Mountain Access Project Expansion SURS site visit to Croagh Patrick (14/02)
• Attended Comhairle na Tuaithe sub-group National Outdoors Recreation Strategy Implementation Oversight Group meeting (28/02)
• Online meeting with Sports Ireland re draft Behavourist Report on Responsible Behaviour in the Outdoors (03/03)
• Attended Comhairle na Tuaithe meeting, Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon (06/03) 

Any EU/COPA developments – n/a

Upcoming issues

• Next meeting of Comhairle na Tuaithe will take place on 15th May
• IFA has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine to deliver an interim ACRES payment to all awaiting 2023/2024 payments, similar to that delivered in Spring 2024.
• IFA has called on DAFM to ensure all GAEC-2 impacted farmers are engaged directly and clearly aware of individual restrictions and parcels involved. 
• IFA has called on the Minister for Rural and Community Development to increase the hourly rate for farmers/landowners on the Walks Scheme to keep in line with updated TAMS costings.