The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) is to hold a protest in Dublin today (Thursday, September 7) over the delay to farmers’ payments.
The picket, taking place on Kildare Street at 10.30a.m, will coincide with a meeting between Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue and farm organisations.
That meeting will focus on the future of Ireland’s nitrates derogation and scheme payment dates.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said the minister had invited farm leaders to the meeting “in recognition of the importance of scheme payments and the timing of their issue to farmers”, and to update farmers on recent discussions with the European Commission on the derogation.
It was announced earlier in the year that payment dates for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) – the replacement for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) – and the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme would be pushed back by several weeks.
According to the minister, the technological and administrative challenges brought about by the new CAP programme have caused the delay, which, it is hoped, will be addressed by next year.
Protest
IFA said that it will not attend the meeting for farm organisations called by the Minister McConalogue this morning.
Following a meeting of its National Council on Tuesday (September 5), the IFA decided to picket the final meeting of the Farmers’ Charter group which had been due to take place Co. Laois this morning.
However, Minister McConalogue cancelled that meeting last evening and instead invited farm organisations to a meeting in Dublin.
IFA president Tim Cullinan said that the time for “discussion” and “updates” had passed and that it was time for the Minister to deal with the problems.
“The statement by the minister in relation to cuts in the nitrates derogation, following an online meeting with the EU Commissioner, has further angered farmers.
“It is a flawed decision and it must be revisited. Derogation farmers have already implemented 30 measures on their farms, but these are not being given a chance to work,” he said.
IFA
The IFA withdrew from the Farmers’ Charter talks before the summer due to payment delays for some scheme.
“The minister must revisit his late payments plan for 2023. These talks are bogus and anyone participating in them is just giving the minister cover,” Brian Rushe, IFA deputy president, said.
The IFA also said DAFM’s failure to approve Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Schemes (TAMS) applications for 2023 is “causing huge issues for farmers who cannot proceed with building before the winter”.
“Farmers who have urgent works to carryout for the winter are in limbo with no indication of when it will be resolved.
“The department is grinding to a halt. The department is prioritising being the best people in the class with the EU above farmers,” Rushe said.