More than 300 angry landowners attended a public meeting organised by the IFA in Ballina, Co Mayo, on Tuesday night to voice their rejection of any further attempts by Dúchas to designate land in Mayo for conservation.
Farmers say they do not want any designation of their land as their assets are being rendered valueless. They insist the compensation being paid to farmers whose lands have been designated under SACs (Special Areas of Conservation) or NHAs (National Heritage Areas) is totally inadequate.
The Connacht vice-president of the IFA, Mr Brendan O'Mahony, told the meeting that since February 1997, farmers had been told by the Government that only 5 per cent of the land area of Ireland would be designated for environmental conservation purposes under the EU Habitats Directive.
"This figure has now reached 11 per cent nationally but in Co Mayo it stands at 20 per cent," he said.
"Landowners and farmers in Co Mayo will resist attempts by Minister Cullen and Dúchas to increase designated areas further. The Minister has gone about the process of designation in a confrontational way and landowners have no choice but to resist the designation of their land. We will be escalating our campaign of no entry to Dúchas personnel on farmers' property," Mr O'Mahony said.
A spokesman for Mr Cullen said landowners are always given a three-month period in which they can appeal any proposed designation of their land.