The administration delays that impacted farmers in the first year of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) “will not be repeated”, Fianna Fáil election candidate and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, has pledged.
Speaking to Agriland as part of our ‘On the campaign trail – General Election 2024‘ series, Minister McConalogue, who is standing in Donegal, pointed to the “track record” of the last four years.
Minister McConalogue said Fianna Fáil “sought the agriculture portfolio last time because we wanted to get into government and make a real for farming”.
He also outlined what he plans to do if re-elected for farmers and said that he had laid out in the party’s manifesto what he wants to do over the next five years of government including his commitment to retaining the nitrates derogation for Ireland which he believes is “really important to all sectors”.
Minister McConalogue said: “For example I’m committing to deliver now €350 per suckler cow taking it from the €225 it is now, increasing the ewe payment from €25 to €35, delivering €60 million per year dedicated support to the tillage sector.
“Also in relation to the dairy sector increasing the payment for dairy beef calf from €40 today for the new scheme introduced to €100 and of course working to make sure that we secure and lead out the national campaign which I’ve been doing across government and with all farming representatives to maintain our nitrates derogation and also continuing to deliver on the work of the Agri-Food Regulator which we have introduced.”
McConalogue
In response to concerns raised by farmers in relation to increased rates of bovine tuberculosis (TB) Minister McConalogue acknowledged that there had been “a deterioration in TB numbers” in recent months.
“It’s really important that we respond to that – that is a key priority, I’ve secured extra funding in the budget to put extra boots on the ground in relation to it so to actually tackle it now and bring it down which we have to do.
“I’ll be working through the TB stakeholder forum with all farmer representatives in relation to identifying measures we can take to support the reduction in numbers.
“That’s something we all have to do together because it’s only collectively we can address it and again collaboratively working with farmer representatives,” the minister said.
ACRES
Separately Minister McConalogue told Agriland that the €1.5 billion flagship ACRES was “working as predicted for many of those in the general stream” but for those in the co-operation stream “there has been some challenges in relation to scores not being where they were expecting them to be and that impacting payments”.
“I want ACRES to work for everyone because it’s a really important scheme, I want everyone to be able to get a good decent payment through it.
“There were administration delays over the first year which I’ve worked to make sure will not be will not be repeated,” he added.
Young farmers
According to Minister McConalogue he has also put “young farmers at the centre of how we go forward in terms of formulating policy”.
He said funding has been increased for young farmers and highlighted that he had “significantly improved supports over the last four years” including doubling funding in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for young farmers.
“We have to make sure the incomes are sustainable and worthwhile and also that the lifestyles are sustainable so that farmers can have a lifestyle if they are farming that is comparable with other options they might have – because young people coming into farming are talented people and they have options and choices,” Minister McConalogue 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 – the Green Party’s Pippa Hacket and Fine Gael’s Martin Heydon