Farmer patience with Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has run out over his refusal to engage on the proposed new GLAS scheme – directly or through his officials - before sending it to Brussels for EU approval at the end of this month.A meeting of IFA’s rural development committee yesterday (Thursday) unanimously voted no confidence in the Minister over this issue and have sent a motion to this effect forward to the next meeting of the national council.
Farmer patience with Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has run out over his refusal to engage on the proposed new GLAS scheme – directly or through his officials - before sending it to Brussels for EU approval at the end of this month.
A meeting of IFA’s rural development committee yesterday (Thursday) unanimously voted no confidence in the Minister over this issue and have sent a motion to this effect forward to the next meeting of the national council.
The farm organisation suspects that the Minister and his officials plan to send the proposed scheme to Brussels without further consultation - and then claim that no further changes are possible.
Chairman of the committee Flor McCarthy warned that the scheme had to support low income farmers. “There are three key issues,” he said. “The Minister must drop the collective agreement rule for commonage which would prevent commonage farmers joining. He must drop the proposed priority for those with over 140kg/ha of organic nitrogen and he must introduce a payment for designated land – which is under continuing restriction – of €150/ha.”
See also "IFA wants talks on Rural Development plan"
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: