Farmers in the Burren and Slieve Aughty areas of Co. Clare are financially “worse off” under the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), TD Michael McNamara has said.
The Hen Harrier Project in Slieve Aughty is now “winding down”, as is the Burren LIFE Programme, he said, which has been replaced by the ACRES Burren Aran co-operation project (CP).
Deputy McNamara, addressing Tánaiste Micheál Martin earlier this week, said that farmers farming in designated areas are now receiving “less money than they did before”.
He added that a “previous pledge” from Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue that “farmers would receive equal payments under ACRES had not materialised”.
“Initially, [Minister] McConalogue said they [farmers] would receive as much under ACRES. It is now abundantly clear to everybody that they are getting less money.
“When I pointed this out to the Tánaiste towards the end of his tenure as Taoiseach, he said it was not good enough. I have raised it consistently since,” the independent TD for Clare said.
The deputy said that the last he heard from Minister McConalogue was that “he would ask his officials to look into it”, however, he told the Tánaiste that he has “not heard back since”.
Farmers in the Burren and Slieve Aughty
The deputy asked whether the government would provide funding for farmers who are farming in designated areas to a “high standard” but are getting “less money” for it than previously.
In response to Deputy McNamara, the Tánaiste said he is a “great admirer” of the Hen Harrier Project, describing it, as well as the Burren LIFE Programme as “outstanding”.
“We achieved meaningful gains. The challenges with ACRES and new schemes is that these schemes became somewhat of a victim of them in the levels of support available.
“I spoke to Minister [McConalogue]. I will speak to him again. The Department of Agriculture [Food and the Marine] needs to be more innovative in these matters,” the Tánaiste said.
Adding that farmers “like” these schemes and “enjoyed” the outcomes, the Tánaiste said: “It was a win-win. We need to work and co-operate with farmers, which was manifested in these schemes.”