The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) have called on the Department of Agriculture and the Minister to immediately suspend plans to recover alleged overpayments of ACRES monies stating that “the basis to assess these overpayments is flawed.”
Speaking on this INHFA Vice President John Joe Fitzgerald stated “how farmers have been contacting us following the publication of their habitat scores and associated maps detailing worrying mistakes.”These mistakes, he continued “relates to the area mapped, where farmers have, following examination, found that they have been given scores for lands (LPIS parcel areas) that they don’t own, while missing LIPS parcel areas of their own.”
Currently we are, he added, “trying to assess how widespread this issue is and we are encouraging all farmers (especially those that have been contacted around an overpayment claim) to cross reference their ACRES parcel number against their LIPS parcel number.”
With the habitat scores being a critical element in farmer’s overall payment (especially in ACRES Co-Operation), Fitzgerald explained how “the inclusion of incorrect land parcels and/or the exclusion of correct land parcels could have a massive bearing on a farmer’s final payment.”
On this basis it is, he stressed “vital that the parcel numbers are correct and this is why we are calling on the Department to immediately suspend the recovery of any ACRES payments.”
Beyond this the INHFA have also taken issue with the delay by the Department in ratifying the Non Productive Investments (NPIs) and Landscape Actions (LAs). These delays coupled with the delay in getting the scores out to farmers will Fitzgerald explained “negatively impact farmers in the coming year, especially those farmers that have had their lands assessed for the second time this summer.”
The Departments inability to ratify these actions (NPIs & LAs) has he added “denied these farmers the opportunity to address possible issues such as invasive species or dumping and will see their score locked in for another two years, condemning them to their current payment rates and also negatively affecting Biodiversity.”
In concluding Fitzgerald stated how “we have written to the Minister requesting a meeting and the opportunity to address an ever increasing number of ACRES related issues including those outlined.”