A candidate in the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) presidential election has warned Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue not to attend the National Ploughing Championships without his chequebook.
Martin Stapleton was joined by Limerick IFA supporters for a protest outside the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Maine (DAFM) in Dublin this morning (Tuesday, September 5).
He is demanding that Minister McConalogue reverse the decision to delay scheme payments to farmers.
Minister
In March, the department confirmed that payments relating to Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) will be pushed back by a month to October 17, while Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) payments will be made from October 24 – two weeks later than usual.
Stapleton, who is the current IFA National Treasurer, said that the decision to delay payments to “already cash-strapped farmers” demonstrates “a lack of respect to this vital sector”.
The Limerick dairy farmer, who is bidding to succeed Tim Cullinan as IFA president, said that many farmers he has met on the campaign trail in recent weeks are unaware of the change to payment dates.
“What other sector of Irish society would be asked to wait for their payments?
“Would pensioners, mothers, workers be asked to wait for their payments? I don’t think so and it’s completely unacceptable of the minister to ask farmers to wait now,” he said.
“I want to send a message to the minister: Unless you sort this out, unless you are in a position to pay like you always do on the middle day of the Ploughing, I don’t see how you can come to the Ploughing, because you are going to face the wrath of 100,000 Irish farmers if you do,” he added.
As part of today’s demonstration, Stapleton delivered a letter for the minister “explaining [IFA’s] case” and added that “today is very much the start of the campaign to make sure those payments are made on time”.
He also hit out at delays with approvals for the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS).
“It’s time the minister opened his chequebook and paid us on time, no other sector in Irish society would be treated like this,” he said.