Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)

One of the core issues is how land is being mapped. Farmers are reporting that productive land is being wrongly classified as peatland with very little consultation or clarity coming towards them. Once land is labelled under GAEC 2, strict restrictions apply. There can be no drainage, no receding and limited grazing, which can have a major impact on farm income, especially in the midlands and the west. There is also a real worry about the retrospective impact and fears that this could lead to future land designations. There has been a lack of clarity from the Department and farmers feel environmental demands are rising without adequate support or compensation. Representative groups are calling for a pause on the implementation until these issues are resolved. That is a fair and reasonable ask.

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