Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Page 110 of A Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment that farm families and rural communities "must feel the effects of positive economic and social change." Oireachtas Members, including my office, have been inundated with calls from farming families who are currently experiencing extreme hardship due to the non-payment of funding under the basic payment scheme, BPS, and areas of natural constraint, ANC, scheme. In excess of 2,500 farmers are awaiting payments and their farms have not been inspected to date. This is not acceptable. I ask the Minister to introduce a mechanism whereby at least 80% of this funding will be paid to alleviate farmers’ credit rating difficulties well in advance of any inspection. If there are breaches of rules, there can be a subsequent clawback. Farming families are in serious difficulty trying to meet their payments. We need action on this matter.

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