Macra chief urges scheme overhaul

MACRA NA FEIRME president Colm Markey has called on Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan to backdate the new Installation Aid Scheme to cover new entrants who set up in farming in 2006.

He said the scheme is distinct from all the other schemes in that the date the farmer is deemed “set up” in farming determines whether they will qualify for the new scheme or the old scheme.

In every other scheme the date of the farmer’s application determines what scheme they qualify for. This means that young farmers who apply for Installation Aid in 2007 may only qualify for the old rate of payment.