The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) took “too many” farmers into the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) which “put pressure on the whole system”, according to Green Party election candidate and Minister of State, Pippa Hackett.
Speaking to Agriland as part of our ‘On the campaign trail – General Election 2024‘ series, Minister Hackett said that she “fought hard” to get ACRES up and running in the first place, particularly in relation to the results based payment, and specifically on the co-operation element of the scheme.
“The problem is we took too many in. The system was designed for 50,000 for you know 30,000 and then for a further 20,000 and we exceeded that and that put pressure on the whole system and put pressure on not only the department and the IT systems.
“It put pressure on on farm advisors as well on the ground and I think we need to learn from that,” Minister Hackett added.
The Green Party candidate, who is standing for election in Co. Offaly, where she lives, told Agriland that as farmer, who lives in rural Ireland, she understands the issues facing rural communities and farmers.
She believes that “there’s no there’s no denying that the future of Irish agriculture, of rural Ireland, of the whole economy has to be greener”.
But Minister Hackett is also adamant “that things are working” in this respect and pointed to the fact that agricultural emissions have gone by nearly 5% in the last year.
“I think there’s a lot that’s been achieved and a lot has been put in place over the last four and a half years because the Greens have been in government and and there’s a huge amount to build on that.
” We will listen to communities, listen to farming communities, listen to rural communities and try and meet them where they’re at to help everyone transition to this green future,” she added.
She also set out her position on a number of key issues facing farm families from the nitrates derogation to TB rates including why a vaccine is key to combating the problem and how the Green Party would support young farmers if they are part of the next government.
Hackett
Minister Hackett said that she accepts that the nitrates derogation is a “crucial part” in terms of the economic viability of the dairy sector but she also warned that it is “underpinned by water quality”.
The Green Party general election candidate said “everyone knows” that the challenge with the nitrates derogation lies with water quality and said that “unfortunately that has not been going in the right direction”.
“I think it is a bit disingenuous of some of the main political parties to suggest that this is simply a political decision and if we put on enough political weight it will all be solved.
“That political intervention didn’t save the 250 level for so many farmers across the country – we went from 250 to 220 (of organic nitrogen (N) per hectare).
“We will work really hard to to maintain the nitrates derogation based on improvements in water quality but ultimately I think it is important and it would be a disservice to farmers not to put in place a contingency plan, like the what if? What if we lose it? What do we do then?” the minister added.
She said that the main banks are stress testing derogation farmers on what happens if that goes, what happens to their business and that back up plan is needed in that respect.
“I think to pretend that oh we’ll solve this because the next government’s going to head off, Simon Harris is going to head off to the European Commission and say we’ll get it fixed – that’s just not the way it works,” Minister Hackett added.
Agriland‘’s ‘On the campaign trail – General Election 2024‘ series will also feature Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on agriculture, food and rural affairs, Martin Kenny, the Independent Ireland general election candidate, Michael Fitzmaurice and two other people who held an agriculture portfolio in the last government – Fianna Fáil’s, Charlie McConalogue and Fine Gael’s Martin Heydon