The Department of Agriculture is to clarify reports that the fodder scheme is county-specific, after farmers raised concerns that a large number of counties were excluded.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Association (ICSA) was informed by a Department official on Tuesday that a number of counties had been excluded from the scheme.

“I rang the Department yesterday [Tuesday] and was told that Cavan, Roscommon, Longford and Monaghan aren’t included in the scheme,” Hugh Farrell, Cavan chair of the ICSA told the Irish Farmers Journal.

A spokesperson for the Department insisted that the scheme was “not county-specific, but applied to any situation where fodder was needed”.

However, the ICSA has called an emergency meeting with Tom Kellegher, regional manager for Teagasc in Longford/Roscommon.

“Initially, it was only the three northern counties (Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim) plus west Clare, but now there are more counties that have been added on, and that may be extended again,” Kellegher told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“We’re meeting the ICSA on Friday to hear what they have to say. There are individual farmers in difficulty but it’s not a blanket situation in every county.”

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that on Wednesday, only farmers from Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, west Cavan, west Clare, Galway and Mayo were eligible to apply for the scheme, and that this restriction was put in place to cope with budgetary constraints.

It is also understood that the Department has yet to receive any applications for the fodder scheme.

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