Call for supplementary budget

IRISH Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association president Jackie Cahill yesterday called for a supplementary budget that would enable the continuation of the Farm Investment Scheme.

He said at a meeting of the social partners in Dublin that the move is necessary after the abrupt ending of the scheme. Mr Cahill said farmers who had made applications while the scheme was open have a perfectly legitimate expectation that these would be dealt with in full.

“If this can only be done through the introduction of a supplementary budget to provide the additional funds necessary for the scheme, then that is what must happen,” he said.