Government accused by IFA of ‘short-changing’ sheep farmers

THE IFA is livid that the Government is “short-changing” sheep farmers out of €21 million.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said the announcement from the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith falls far short of government promises to the sheep sector.

While welcoming the allocation of €7m from the national reserve to 14,000 hill sheep farmers for 2009, Mr Walshe said Mr Smith had failed to deliver on the government promise to all sheep producers made by his predecessor, Mary Coughlan, when she announced a package of €28m in May, 2007.