The booklet sets out what is eligible and ineligible land as well instructions on how to class land in scheme applications. There are also pictorial examples of eligible and ineligible in the cases of rushes, ferns, heather and other cases.

As exclusively reported in the Irish Farmers Journal last week, the Department has moved to make it easier to claim full payments under CAP schemes.

The criteria for eligible land is moving away from the need to show agricultural activity but rather the need to ensure that land is grazeable.

As expected, the Department has introduced greater tolerance in the rules for a land parcel that is deemed to have no more than 10% ineligible.

For example, where there is scattered rock in up to 10% of a land parcel, no reduction will apply to the farmer’s payment.

If between 10% and 30% of a parcel of land is deemed to be ineligible, then a 20% penalty will apply to that parcel of land. If between 30% and 50% of parcel of land is deemed to be ineligible, a 40% penalty will apply. If between 50% and 70% of a parcel of land is deemed ineligible a 60% penalty will apply while anything over 70% will be excluded entirely.

The booklet will be launched later today (Tuesday) on the Department’s website before being printed and distributed to each Basic Payment Scheme applicant in the next 10 days.