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INHFA National President Colm O’Donnell has outlined how Teagasc continues to charge farmers for a service that the Department of Agriculture is already paying for.
Currently the Department of Agriculture is paying a total of €1,250 for every participant in these KT Groups, according to INHFA.
Of this,750 is paid to the farmer and all facilitators (including Teagasc) get the remaining €500 for their services.
However, farmers that were not previous clients of Teagasc but presently in their groups are seeing membership fee demands for a minimum of €145, the association said.
‘Membership fees never outlined’
“Of the farmers we have talked to these membership fees were never outlined on the commencement of the programme and they only became aware of them well into the programme when they received their invoices from Teagasc,” O’Donnell said.
“We understand that Ireland’s EU monitoring committee for the Rural Development Programme and other farm organisations have approved this extra costs for non-Teagasc clients as part of the KT Programme which is very disappointing.
“Previous statements by the INHFA have requested that Teagasc reviews these fees and we also raised it directly in a meeting with Teagasc [Director] Professor Gerry Boyle.”
Reason
O’Donnell said that the association would have hoped “that they would see reason and recognise that the €500 fee was more than enough for the service provided.”
Unfortunately contact from members in recent days has indicated to us that Teagasc are not for turning, which is why we are asking the Minister to intervene and direct Teagasc to waiver these fees and reimburse any farmer that has already paid them.
O’Donnell concluded by adding that “many farmers, especially on the hills, are losing confidence in the KT Programme as they see a programme not suited to their needs with a poor return while facilitators, in particular Teagasc, reap the financial rewards.”
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