Dáil debates

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

7:00 pm

Photo of Dan NevilleDan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. One of the decisions the Minister made on the disadvantaged areas scheme has had a severe impact on large areas of my constituency. The far east and far west of my constituency are disadvantaged and the farming there is marginal. The disadvantaged areas scheme was a vital part of the income of farmers in those areas. Farming activity in those areas has changed dramatically in recent decades. The introduction of the disadvantaged areas scheme was hard fought and successfully campaigned for and it is not acceptable that it is being reduced by 14% or €36.6 million. The Minister will have to revisit that decision and respond to the 40,000 farmers who will be affected by it. These are all farmers who have low incomes and are the most vulnerable in terms of the impact of this cut on their incomes.

I agree with my colleagues regarding the installation aid scheme, one of the schemes that encouraged the continuity of farming within families. Young people taking up farming and the continuity of the farm family unit is an issue that has been raised repeatedly. Hitting farm families by removing the early retirement scheme which enabled farmers to retire and by removing the incentive for young people to take up farming will have a negative impact. It indicates a lack of confidence by the Minister to encourage the next generation to participate in one of our vital industries. To direct cuts in this area is unacceptable.

The issue affecting sheep farmers was raised by my colleague, Deputy Deenihan. I call on the Minister to re-affirm his previous commitment to introduce a sheep maintenance payment from the unused Common Agricultural Policy funds. Sheep farmers feel they have been badly let down by the Government and have lost confidence in it. The Minister can reverse their thinking at a cheap cost. There is anger and frustration among sheep farmers over the Minister's foot-dragging on this issue. He might when replying announce a sheep maintenance payment of €20 per ewe.

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