Farmers are being urged to "bell" their cats to conserve Ireland's last corncrakes in a book launched at the championships here yesterday.
Irish Farming and Wildlife, edited by John Murphy of BirdWatch Ireland, aims to help farmers conserve and protect wildlife on their property.
The book, launched by the IFA president, Mr John Donnelly, advises farmers that as cats can kill corncrakes, a bell attached to a collar may alert the birds and give them a chance to escape.
Mr Donnelly, whose members have been under frequent attack from conservationists for damaging the environment, said he welcomed the recognition of farmers as "the original conservationists".
He said the book, sponsored by FBD, the farm insurance company, correctly acknowledged the role of farmers in conservation and said that they had demonstrated their commitment to species and habitat conservation through the new REPS scheme.
He said 30,000 farmers were already involved in the scheme and in specific programmes designed to preserve several important species such as the corncrake.
Mr Murphy, of BirdWatch Ireland, said the Department of Agriculture should move quickly to establish a scientifically credible system of monitoring the beneficial impact of the Rural Environment Protection Scheme on the Irish countryside.
He said the absence of government action on this three years after the launch of the scheme could prove a serious obstacle in negotiations for continued REPS funding beyond the current £230 million five year budget.
He also suggested that the national survey of countryside bird population and distribution trends which BirdWatch is launching next year could provide an important element of an effective environmental monitoring programme.
"The overall value of bird surveys is greatly enhanced by the fact they are an excellent indicator of the general environmental health status of the countryside," he said.