Money for suckler farmers was a divisive topic at the Irish Farmers Journal election debate on Tullamore Farm on Monday night.
Fine Gael’s Michael Creed, the Minister for Agriculture, was critical of Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy's spending pledges for suckler farmers.
Carthy said: “If I had my way, we would have a policy of a payment of €300 per suckler and that’s my hope that Sinn Féin ...“
He was then cut off by Creed, who said: “Who’s stopping you having your way? Shady figures behind ... ?”
Before Carthy interjected again with: “The costings wouldn’t allow it on this occasion, what we’re wanting to do is ensure that we have a suckler payment in place in the first days of ...“
Creed then came back in, saying: “Sure you’re spending €22bn, we’re [Fine Gael] confined to spending €11[bn]. You’ve decided you’re going to spend €22bn so what are the constraints on you?”
The figures were in reference to Sinn Féin’s spending plans for the next five years.
Matt Carthy replied: “We’ve to sort out the housing crisis that you’ve [the previous government] overseen, we’ve to oversee the health crisis you’ve overseen … what we have for our suckler farmers is a commitment that a Sinn Féin government will immediately introduce a €200 per cow payment for suckler farmers for the first 15 cows and it is my view that that will be expanded over the coming years.”
When asked by Irish Farmers Journal editor Justin McCarthy whether that expansion was in cow numbers or the payment total, Carthy said the payment total, potentially “extended to 20 at a max”.
“We’re on the hoof now, we’re making it up on the hoof,” quipped Creed, to which Carthy replied: “No. I’m being honest Minister.”
'Anchor of our beef sector'
Fianna Fáil's Charlie McConalogue also weighed in on the issue.
“I think the problem is it has been so difficult to make an income in suckler farming over the last number of years.
“Suckler beef is the anchor of our beef sector, it’s what we advertise abroad, it’s why our beef is of such tremendous quality and we want to ensure that the suckler farmer is supported because without doing that we will see a continuation of the trend whereby numbers will be dropping,” he said.
You can watch the debate from start to finish here. Read more
IFJ debate: what do parties plan for agri-environmental schemes?
IFJ debate: candidates commit to farm retirement scheme
Watch: live farming election debate
Money for suckler farmers was a divisive topic at the Irish Farmers Journal election debate on Tullamore Farm on Monday night.
Fine Gael’s Michael Creed, the Minister for Agriculture, was critical of Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy's spending pledges for suckler farmers.
Carthy said: “If I had my way, we would have a policy of a payment of €300 per suckler and that’s my hope that Sinn Féin ...“
He was then cut off by Creed, who said: “Who’s stopping you having your way? Shady figures behind ... ?”
Before Carthy interjected again with: “The costings wouldn’t allow it on this occasion, what we’re wanting to do is ensure that we have a suckler payment in place in the first days of ...“
Creed then came back in, saying: “Sure you’re spending €22bn, we’re [Fine Gael] confined to spending €11[bn]. You’ve decided you’re going to spend €22bn so what are the constraints on you?”
The figures were in reference to Sinn Féin’s spending plans for the next five years.
Matt Carthy replied: “We’ve to sort out the housing crisis that you’ve [the previous government] overseen, we’ve to oversee the health crisis you’ve overseen … what we have for our suckler farmers is a commitment that a Sinn Féin government will immediately introduce a €200 per cow payment for suckler farmers for the first 15 cows and it is my view that that will be expanded over the coming years.”
When asked by Irish Farmers Journal editor Justin McCarthy whether that expansion was in cow numbers or the payment total, Carthy said the payment total, potentially “extended to 20 at a max”.
“We’re on the hoof now, we’re making it up on the hoof,” quipped Creed, to which Carthy replied: “No. I’m being honest Minister.”
'Anchor of our beef sector'
Fianna Fáil's Charlie McConalogue also weighed in on the issue.
“I think the problem is it has been so difficult to make an income in suckler farming over the last number of years.
“Suckler beef is the anchor of our beef sector, it’s what we advertise abroad, it’s why our beef is of such tremendous quality and we want to ensure that the suckler farmer is supported because without doing that we will see a continuation of the trend whereby numbers will be dropping,” he said.
You can watch the debate from start to finish here. Read more
IFJ debate: what do parties plan for agri-environmental schemes?
IFJ debate: candidates commit to farm retirement scheme
Watch: live farming election debate
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: