IFA Welcome Sensible Decision to Allow Meadow Cutting from Today on Shannon Callows

IFA Rural Development Committee Chairman Flor McCarthy has welcomed the decision of the National Parks and Wildlife service to allow a derogation on meadow cutting under NPWS farm plans. A similar derogation also applies to REPS4 and AEOS plans.

This derogation is necessary in order to allow farmers conserve as much fodder as possible in the current good spell of weather following the horrendous problems faced by farmers due to the very poor growing conditions in April/May of this year. This concessions applies to all the meadows in the Shannon callows except for 2 areas near Athlone ( Fahn’s Callow and the Big Meadow) where the corncrake has been located this year.