Designated land rules 'horrific' for farmers

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) came in for scathing criticism at a Kerry farmer meeting last week, with its rules for designated farmland being called “horrific” and “unworkable”.

William Murphy of Glencar addressed two Kerry-based NPWS officers at a meeting of Kerry IFA held on Thursday in Killorglin.

He outlined that he has been refused permission by the NPWS to clear drains due to being in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) by the Caragh River and claimed that his sheep are subsequently drowning.

“It’s horrific what you’re doing to decent, hardworking farmers. That’s my honest opinion. It’s unworkable,” he added.

Blocked drains

The mid-Kerry farmer also said he had been in a scheme for the freshwater pearl mussel, when the drains on his farm began to get blocked.

“The drains were getting silted up, the sheep were falling in, getting drowned. How do ye expect closing up drains is going to keep livestock alive?

“When they go into these drains, they can’t come out, they get stuck.

“If I can’t open my drains and my sheep get drowned, who do I send the bill to? NPWS for Ward [the knackery] to carry them away, is it?” he added.

Responding, NPWS district conservation officer for south Kerry Daniel Buckley said it is their job to enforce regulations.

“In relation to the drains, all I can say to you is that we have a job to do. We have to enforce the regulations.

“In terms of the activity requiring consent process, we try to be as fair on farmers as possible and try and process things as quickly as possible. But we have to take the SAC into account.

“We have to enforce the regulations,” he said.

Buckley added at the end of the meeting that he would visit the farm in question.