The Department of Agriculture has done a U-turn on the eligibility of raths, known as ringforts or fairy forts in some parts of country, as areas for nature under the new CAP.

Following a question from a farmer at the CAP information meeting at the Seven Oaks Hotel, Carlow, on Monday night, a Department official clarified that the ancient structures, which often include whitethorn and blackthorn trees and would be thought to be a suitable location for nature preservation by many farmers, would, in fact, be eligible.

“Raths and ringforts, both archaeologicals, are eligible. There are miscommunications or misinterpretations going around,” he said.

Clarification

The Department staff member had been prompted to make the clarification by meeting chair and Department lead Fran Morrin, who said “there’s been quite a bit of coverage about, I suppose, national monuments, ringforts and so on”.

They’re hard features. They’re treated the same way as a farm road or that

The clarification comes after the opposite remark was made by another Department official at the CAP information meeting in Wexford last week, as reported by the Irish Farmers Journal.

On whether or not raths will be included, the official in Wexford had said: “No, they won’t. They’re hard features. They’re treated the same way as a farm road or that. They won’t count.” Despite the “miscommunication” described by the Department, all raths, ringforts and fairy forts will be included for area-based payments in the next CAP.

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Raths not included as areas for nature under CAP