A Leitrim Councillor is urging farmers to fully embrace the new ACRES scheme.
The Minister for Agriculture confirmed yesterday that all 46,000 applicants for the environmental programme, are to be included.
Paddy O'Rourke is welcoming the announcement but says this is a results based scheme and farmers will now have to show the changes they've made.
He believes there will be a more stringent inspection process than previous schemes.
'The only way that the department can assess that you have lived up to the criteria that you signed up to is by conducting an inspection so I mean if you declare that you are going to eave a particular section of your land free of artificial fertilizers and a subsequent soil sample indicates that that hasn't been the case but this journey is ultimately going to lead to a payday and that is why it is well worth living within the terms.'
