Landscape

Heritage Council Calls for Urgent New Measures to Reward Farmers and Provide Greater Protection for our Countryside

The Heritage Council has called for greater recognition for farmers and landowners for the pivotal role they can play as custodians of our heritage and environment.

At a press briefing in Dublin on Monday, 9th January 2006, Michael Starrett, Chief Executive of the Heritage Council called for an urgent need to take a more co-ordinated approach to managing Ireland’s countryside. “Ireland lags far behind most European countries in the approach it takes towards managing our countryside and we will need to take serious steps to safeguard and protect it. There is a new opportunity for farmers and landowners to receive recognition for the role they play in managing and protecting our heritage, environment and landscape. They perform a unique public service that benefits everyone in Ireland

The Heritage Council wants to see a considerable change of emphasis so that agri-environmental payments go to the farmers that contribute most to heritage management. It has advised the Government that the new REPS4 scheme should offer new mechanisms and measures that would reward and give additional incentives to farmers for the role they play in protecting Ireland’s heritage. The REPS scheme should include new measures that will restore and manage habitats for endangered wildlife and plant species; protect and conserve archaeological monuments and traditional farm buildings; and offer new recreational and tourism features in the countryside.

 “Over the past decade, we have seen a very significant decline in farming and at the same time our national heritage - native wildlife, plants, archaeological monuments and traditional farmyard buildings have come under increasing threat. Similarly issues of access to the countryside are more prevalent

The corn bunting has become extinct in Ireland since 1990 and 95 bird species, including the barn owl are threatened or in serious decline. Figures indicate that we have lost 34% of the state’s archaeological monuments since 1840 and much of this loss has taken place on farms. Traditional farmyard buildings are also in serious decline. “There is a great opportunity for farmers and landowners to play a more significant role in managing our national heritage and this would lead to many benefits for the wider community and could help provide new recreational and tourism enterprises

The Heritage Council also called for funding for farmers who protect heritage to be provided in plans such as the new Rural Development Plan and National Development Plan.

The new measures would provide incentives for farmers and landowners to take additional steps to safeguard and enhance our natural and cultural heritage.