Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada has urged the Department of Agriculture to continue to accept paper applications for CAP payments such as TAMS, SFP and BPS as well as online ones.

The Ireland South MEP said with such poor broadband access in parts of rural Ireland, the new rule is only putting another obstacle in the way of those farmers: “This seems to be a case of a blinkered department in Dublin thinking that the rest of the country has the same facilities as the capital.

“While I would welcome any system that makes getting money from Europe into the hands of Irish farmers easier and more efficient, the Government is putting the cart well before the horse here by insisting on online only applications.”

Applications for BPS opened on 13 March and so far 5,800 applications have been made.

There have been 5,174 submission online, with 633 paper applications.

In 2016, online BPS applications there were over 100,000, compared with just 7,540 in 2007.

Punishing farmers with no broadband

Liadh Ní Riada also added that Ireland has more farmers in this country over the age of 70 than under the age of 35, and for many of them online applications are simply not going to be an option.

“The move towards a faster, smoother online system is one that the government needs to make but it should be made in conjunction with those people who do not have access to these facilities, not at their expense.

“The government cannot fail to provide rural broadband and then punish those who do not have rural broadband. Paper applications must continue to be accepted alongside online ones,” she said.

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