It has come to my attention in recent days that when farmers want to replace existing fences on their own land in western counties,they have been told they had to apply for planning permission and get an EIA (Enviornmental Impact Assessment), at a total cost 4,000 Euro which already puts them at an unfair disadvantage to start with. But to make matters worse ,in the planning stipulations they are required to have a portaloo on the area of the fencing, which has to be emptied on a regular basis, even though their houses are frequently at the bottom of the lands They are allowed to bring a tractor on site, but not a digger, even though the digger is less pounds per square inch on the ground.
The regulations that we are now encountering are absolutely laughable and will drive more people off the land in the west. If you are in certain counties in west you are expected to go through this ridiculous process. However if you are on the Golden Vale you can go everyday with whatever you want and fence your land as you please. We are now in an Ireland where farmers are being treated differently. It is an intolerable and laughable situation. The Minister for the Envoirnment and the Minister for Arts. Heritage and Gaeltacht need to cop on and tell Europe where to go. If we don’t stand up to this lunacy then the end is near for families trying to survive. I don’t think that Cromwell himself would even think of such crazy regulations.