Government urged to extend deadline for farm waste projects

THE Government has been urged to extend the deadline for the completion of projects under the grant scheme for the control of farm waste.

Fine Gael Parliamentary Party chairman Tom Hayes, TD, said the December 31 closing date is an issue for both farmers and industrial suppliers of the materials required for these works under the grant.

“According to suppliers in my constituency, the early deadline is putting jobs at risk. Suppliers have to refuse work from farmers under this grant scheme because they cannot complete it by the end of year deadline.

“If the deadline was extended, suppliers would be able to retain staffing levels at their current rate for longer, and hopefully keep their employees on until the construction industry recovers from its current state,” he said.

The Tipperary South TD said it is estimated that the steel-concrete industry employs at least 25,000 people and its employees must be protected.

“The Government must extend this deadline. It won’t incur any additional cost as this money has already been allocated.

“But it will enable construction suppliers to complete this agricultural work and bring vital revenue into their companies. It would also mean that farmers would be able to receive the funding they have been approved for, and use it to full effect,” he said.

Mr Hayes said as things stand, if the works are not fully completed by the end of December, the grant is forfeited. This would be a huge loss to farmers.

“According to the IFA, only 8,000 out of 41,000 have already completed the work, and with suppliers unable to fulfil their orders many could stand to lose out,” he said.

Pointing out that fears have arisen about the funding of the scheme, Fine Gael spokesperson Michael Creed, TD, called for urgent clarification from the Government.

He said Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith must give an assurance that farmers who have completed their building works will be paid promptly.

More than 28,000 farmers have notified the department that they have started building works and they need to be assured that the funding for the scheme is safe.