Minister insists GAEC 2 rules are not a land designation

Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said that the new GAEC 2 rules which will come into effect this year are not a designation on land.

He said the new rules were a baseline conditionality of the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS).

“It is not a designation. It is nothing more than just that as part of this CAP strategic plan,” he said in response to a question from Galway TD Catherine Connolly.

“As a reminder, GAEC 2 is a baseline requirement under the CAP regulations for the protection of carbon-rich soils. It is legally required to be put in place for 2025 as part of the conditionality requirements for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability, BISS, payment scheme.

“The proposal my Department has submitted to the European Commission for approval aims to strike a balance between the vital protection of peatlands and wetlands and farmers' rights to continue with agricultural activity on this land,” he said.

Land parcels

Minister Heydon said that if a farmer believes that a land parcel has been incorrectly included in the standard, they can appeal that decision to the Department of Agriculture.

“However, if 50% or more of the parcel is identified in the map, it is in scope. To apply a different threshold than 50% for GAEC 2 would either bring in far more mineral soils into the standard or leave too much peat soil outside of the standard. As a result, I am of the view that this percentage strikes the right balance,” he said.

He reiterated that the standard “does not prohibit any of the common practices that are typical on these lands”.

There is a risk that this might be seen as something we really want to avoid, which is what farmers with carbon-rich peaty soils are feeling, he said.

Scaremongering

“However, the truth is that in the context of grassland, reseeding is still possible as are the maintenance and repair of existing drains. New drains are also allowed, subject to relevant planning legislation. That is already a requirement.

“I was determined that the proposal that went to the Commission, which was the subject of extensive consultation with all farm organisations, was set down on the basis that day-to-day farming activity on this type of land would not change,” he said.

The Minister accused people outside of the Dáil of scaremongering farmers that the standard was a designation on their lands.

“I reassure farmers that their day-to-day activity will continue,” he said.

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