Teagasc is to meet with members of the Kerry executive of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to discuss concerns raised about farm placements for Green Cert students.
As previously reported by Agriland, the Kerry IFA county executive meeting last Thursday (April 22) heard a call for the placements to be suspended pending an investigation.
A motion on the issue, which was unanimously passed, is to be forwarded to IFA national council for discussion at its next meeting on May 17.
Teagasc farm placements
Chair of the Kerry IFA Dairy Committee Michael O’Dowd, who tabled the motion, said that some genuine concerns about the host farm system operated by Teagasc must be addressed.
The concerns include the rates paid to the young farmers while on placement, along with facilities and standards on host farms.
He said that the merit of such placements for students who are already from a farming background should also be examined.
A suggestion was made during the meeting for Teagasc to set up a helpline to allow those on farm placements raise legitimate concerns that they may have.
In a statement issued to Agriland , a spokesperson for Teagasc said that they noted the concerns expressed by Kerry IFA in the media.
“We are in the process of scheduling a meeting with them directly to discuss the issues raised,” the spokesperson added.
Green Cert placement
The placement on a host farm forms part of the full-time Green Cert course run by Teagasc over two academic years at its agricultural colleges.
The placement is eight weeks in duration for first year students and 16 weeks for those in second year.
According to Teagasc, the Green Cert is the most widely accepted course to qualify for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) schemes.