Professional services hit farmers

BOTTLENECKS in professional services relating to planning applications for the farm waste management scheme means that farmers could lose grant aid, it was claimed yesterday.

Fine Gael agriculture spokesman Denis Naughten called on Farming Minister Mary Coughlan to extend the planning application deadline for the scheme. He said thousands of farmers could otherwise lose out on funding from this vital scheme as architects and engineers are refusing to take on any new work.

“Over the past few days, several agricultural planners have approached me expressing their concerns that the professional services they need to employ in submitting planning applications are in short supply. In preparing applications for proposed waste management developments these planners must rely on architects or engineers who, they say, are simply snowed under, are not prepared to take on new work and, therefore, cannot meet the March 31 deadline,” he said.