Farm payment delays by the Department of Agriculture are “utterly unacceptable” and must be avoided, says Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson Claire Kerrane TD.
Following confirmation that there will be delays to farm payments this year of up to a month in some cases, Kerrane has called for urgent action.
The Sinn Féin TD says she has raised the issue with Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
‘Utterly unacceptable’
“The announced change in dates for the payment of the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), formerly the Basic Payment Scheme, is utterly unacceptable,” Kerrane warned.
She highlighted that farm input costs are at an “all time high” and therefore, insisted that delays in critical income supports to farmers have to be avoided.
“They need to be paid on time in September and October, as they have been previously,” she said.
At a time of high input costs, farmers should not face a delay in department farm payments, says Sinn Féin.
“Despite this, the Minister is insisting that because this is the first year of the new CAP, payment delays cannot be helped. These delays are going to be up to a month.
“The Minister said the Department has done everything they can around payment dates, but it is simply not good enough. Farmers cannot be expected to wait,” the Sinn Féin TD continued.
‘Made it clear’
The party’s agriculture spokesperson said she has “made it clear” to the Minister that more needs to be done by his department to avoid these payment delays.
“I also raised the new satellite mapping process which is being rolled out. This will put the onus on farmers where an issue is raised by the satellite, it will be up to the farmer to take a geotag photograph and upload it to an app.
“This is going to be problematic for some farmers and it needs to be communicated before it is rolled out in June,” Kerrane added.
Read more
Minister must ‘come out of hiding’ on payment delays - IFA
Farm payment delays by the Department of Agriculture are “utterly unacceptable” and must be avoided, says Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson Claire Kerrane TD.
Following confirmation that there will be delays to farm payments this year of up to a month in some cases, Kerrane has called for urgent action.
The Sinn Féin TD says she has raised the issue with Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue.
‘Utterly unacceptable’
“The announced change in dates for the payment of the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) and the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS), formerly the Basic Payment Scheme, is utterly unacceptable,” Kerrane warned.
She highlighted that farm input costs are at an “all time high” and therefore, insisted that delays in critical income supports to farmers have to be avoided.
“They need to be paid on time in September and October, as they have been previously,” she said.
At a time of high input costs, farmers should not face a delay in department farm payments, says Sinn Féin.
“Despite this, the Minister is insisting that because this is the first year of the new CAP, payment delays cannot be helped. These delays are going to be up to a month.
“The Minister said the Department has done everything they can around payment dates, but it is simply not good enough. Farmers cannot be expected to wait,” the Sinn Féin TD continued.
‘Made it clear’
The party’s agriculture spokesperson said she has “made it clear” to the Minister that more needs to be done by his department to avoid these payment delays.
“I also raised the new satellite mapping process which is being rolled out. This will put the onus on farmers where an issue is raised by the satellite, it will be up to the farmer to take a geotag photograph and upload it to an app.
“This is going to be problematic for some farmers and it needs to be communicated before it is rolled out in June,” Kerrane added.
Read more
Minister must ‘come out of hiding’ on payment delays - IFA
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