IFA president Tim Cullinan has called on the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to get the €25m in unspent Beef Exceptional Aid Measures (BEAM) money out to farmers before the vote in the 2020 general election.
Over 34,000 farmers applied to the €100m BEAM scheme, but €25m was left unspent.
Cullinan told the IFA’s 65th AGM that “it’s unbelievable that our own Minister left €25m behind because he ‘cocked up’ the terms and conditions of his own scheme”.
He said Brexit has already done a lot of damage to Irish agriculture and that while BEAM covered losses up to 12 May 2019, he called for a second BEAM-type scheme for farmers who suffered losses since 12 May.
“But let me be clear: we don’t want limits, we don’t want production reduction and we don’t want restrictions,” he said.
Party attack
With voting in the general election taking place in just under two weeks, Cullinan then launched an attack on Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin over their stance on convergence.
“The Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesman recently adopted the Sinn Féin policy, looking for the convergence model to keep going during the CAP transition period.
“Well, I have message for Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. We too want to see more money going to farmers with low payments.
“But the EU or the Irish Government will have to come up with the money. It cannot be taken off other farmers. They have given enough.
“We cannot have a CAP that makes more farmers unviable,” he said.
Criticism
The Green Party also came in for criticism from Cullinan.
“We have heard some proposals from the Green Party which are not logical and are totally unacceptable.
“They want to get rid of the nitrates derogation and live exports. Yet they seem very keen on live imports - they want to bring wolves back into Ireland.
“Any party thinking of going into government with the Greens will have to bring them to their senses. We can’t have the tail wagging the wolf like we had before,” he said.
He added that the IFA will be telling Green Party leader Eamon Ryan on Tuesday that farmers need live exports and the nitrates derogation.
“These are red line issues for the IFA,” he said.
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IFA president Tim Cullinan has called on the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to get the €25m in unspent Beef Exceptional Aid Measures (BEAM) money out to farmers before the vote in the 2020 general election.
Over 34,000 farmers applied to the €100m BEAM scheme, but €25m was left unspent.
Cullinan told the IFA’s 65th AGM that “it’s unbelievable that our own Minister left €25m behind because he ‘cocked up’ the terms and conditions of his own scheme”.
He said Brexit has already done a lot of damage to Irish agriculture and that while BEAM covered losses up to 12 May 2019, he called for a second BEAM-type scheme for farmers who suffered losses since 12 May.
“But let me be clear: we don’t want limits, we don’t want production reduction and we don’t want restrictions,” he said.
Party attack
With voting in the general election taking place in just under two weeks, Cullinan then launched an attack on Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin over their stance on convergence.
“The Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesman recently adopted the Sinn Féin policy, looking for the convergence model to keep going during the CAP transition period.
“Well, I have message for Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. We too want to see more money going to farmers with low payments.
“But the EU or the Irish Government will have to come up with the money. It cannot be taken off other farmers. They have given enough.
“We cannot have a CAP that makes more farmers unviable,” he said.
Criticism
The Green Party also came in for criticism from Cullinan.
“We have heard some proposals from the Green Party which are not logical and are totally unacceptable.
“They want to get rid of the nitrates derogation and live exports. Yet they seem very keen on live imports - they want to bring wolves back into Ireland.
“Any party thinking of going into government with the Greens will have to bring them to their senses. We can’t have the tail wagging the wolf like we had before,” he said.
He added that the IFA will be telling Green Party leader Eamon Ryan on Tuesday that farmers need live exports and the nitrates derogation.
“These are red line issues for the IFA,” he said.
Read more
IFA president Cullinan demands bigger CAP budget and end to climate hypocrisy
Brexit countdown: battle for product standards
Disqualified driver arrested driving tractor with plough on M1
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