|
IFA President John Bryan said that he would be contacting
the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith immediately to
highlight some serious shortcomings that need to be addressed
in the new Agri-Environmental Scheme to replace REPS, which
the Department of Agriculture is proposing.
He said farmers must be in a position to get an average payment
of €5,000 with reduced compliance costs and the Minister for
Agriculture must ensure that the new scheme delivers this.
Speaking following a meeting with senior Department of Agriculture
officials, IFA National Rural Development Chairman Tom Turley
said farmers will be very angry that their payment levels
will be reduced under the new scheme.
“Hill and SAC farmers, who have to comply with ongoing, huge
environmental restrictions placed on their lands, must get
higher payments. The Minister has at his disposal €50 million
for the new scheme.
"With 10,000 farmers exiting REPS 3 by the 17th of May,
he must deliver a payment of at least an average of €5,000
to all farmers and higher payments to Hill and SAC areas.”
Mr Turley outlined to the Department the serious shortcomings
of the new scheme, which has moved away significantly from
the very successful REPS scheme that has been in place for
the last 15 years.
“This scheme delivered huge gains for the environment and
the rural economy. The Minister must ensure that the issues
raised by IFA are addressed if the new scheme is to do the
same,” he concluded.
|
