Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Basic Payment Scheme Eligibility: Discussion

2:00 pm

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association and Macra na Feirme for their presentations and I congratulate Mr. Sean Finan on his elevation to the Macra presidency and wish him well on it.

The delegations made very good presentations. I was particularly struck by Mr. Kenneth O'Brien’s because I have met a number of those farmers categorised as “Others” whom he represents. He put his case eloquently in terms of how people are impacted on by a cohort of anomalies which are historic in origin. No matter how fast he ran, he still found himself going backwards. It is an unusual achievement, meaning the efforts he made were reduced to nought.

There are 3,500 farmers in this category and not all of them will qualify because some may lose out due to agricultural qualifications and various other factors. It is a pity installation aid was done away with because it was a simple way of getting farmers established and re-established, particularly with the significant set-up costs for young farmers. Some of the Common Agricultural Policy reform measures are useful, such as the 60% under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme and the 25% top-up.

It is time this anomalous position regarding the forgotten farmers was addressed. Any cost-benefit analysis would show the country would gain positively. I agree with Deputy Fitzmaurice that the money required would be low, approximately €10 million. It has to be found to remedy this anomaly. Ultimately, if these farmers do not get their entitlement, the legal side of this should be explored. It is important that we get the facts and the numbers. The point was made about the restrictive definition, with the result that a young farmer who activated a herd number at 18 years of age is no longer defined as a young farmer at 23 years of age, while a farmer who activates a herd number at 39 is still defined as a young farmer at 43 years. That does not make sense, particularly when we are trying to encourage young people to go into farming. If we do not have flexibility at this level, we will not have it at any level. If we get the figures on the farmers affected, I will be supportive of advancing the argument to ensure this anomaly is remedied and the farmers get what is justly theirs. We would all reap the benefits of a positive payback.

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