‘You can’t pull wool over our eyes’

FARMERS brought a flock of sheep into the centre of Dublin as they accused the Department of Agriculture of trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

The farmers called on Minister Brendan Smith to immediately introduce a sheep maintenance payment which they said was secured in the Common Agricultural Policy health check agreement in Brussels last week.

A spokesman for the minister said he would decide on how unspent European Union funds will be used following consultation with the various stakeholders, but he would not be influenced by any one particular group.