The Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association are calling on our Oireachtas members to pass a motion compelling Minister for Agriculture Food & the Marine Michael Creed to instruct his Department officials to make the 85% payment of GLAS & AEOS monies to any farmer that has not yet received it. National Chair of the INHFA Vincent Roddy stated “how the non payment of monies to over 6000 farmers can no longer be tolerated and the time has come for our elected representatives to act on behalf of these farmers.”
He then outlined in discussions the INHFA have had with DAFM officials, they were informed that these payments could be made immediately but the hold-up concerns the checks the DAFM have to complete on each application. These checks they continued, are an EU requirement and if breached could see us in conflict with the EU Auditors.
In response to this Roddy stated “farmers should no longer have to suffer for the inability of the DAFM to carry out the work expected of them or their inability to deliver a favourable deal in any EU Audit that put the interests of Irish farmers first.” After all he added “if our officials and public representatives cannot negotiate a pass with our EU masters on something as clear as this, what hope is there of these same people delivering a favourable deal under any Brexit negotiations.”
Unfortunately he continued “most farmers have lost confidence in the Minister or his officials to deliver for them on this. Add to this the possibility that for many farmers’ payments could be months away based on present processing rates.”All of this he added “leaves very few options which is why we need our elected representatives to act now. We all remember how emergency legislation was rushed through the Oireachtas when the Banks had to be saved. Now is the time for our elected representatives to step up to the plate on a cause that is far more worthy and a lot easier done and save our farmers”
