€220m boost to farmers as ploughing gets under way

STEPS to ease cash-flow problems among farmers were announced as they planned to travel to the three-day national ploughing championships which start in Athy, Co Kildare, today.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith announced that payments of around €220 million to more than 100,000 farmers under the disadvantaged areas scheme will commence this week.

He also confirmed that payments in the region of €800m will begin issuing under the 2009 single payment scheme on October 16, a full six weeks earlier than provided for under the rules.

Mr Smith said his decision followed agreement in Brussels in June, which enabled European Union member states to pay an advance of the single payment. “As well as earlier payments, the level set for the amount of the advance payable is an unprecedented 70%,” he said.

Mr Smith, who is expected to visit the ploughing championships tomorrow, said the 30% balancing payments would begin issuing with effect from December 1.

“Mindful of the difficult financial situation, it is my intention to maximise payments to farmers before Christmas,” he said.

But Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe said 34,000 farmers, or one-third, will still be left with a reduced disadvantaged areas payment of up to €1,055 compared to what they received last year.

Meanwhile, a major Garda traffic management plan will be activated at dawn today as crowds converge on Athy for the championships which President Mary McAleese will officially open at noon.

Gardaí and the National Ploughing Association have appealed to the public to pay attention to the event signage and to follow the direction of the gardaí and stewards when arriving and leaving the parking sites.

Each of the traffic routes has been colour coded to aid the travelling public and is separate and unique to each other.

Parking restrictions will be in place on all approaches to the event site, which is 1km from Athy town, on the Stradbally Road.

Some routes will have dedicated one-way systems closer to the car parks which will aid entry and exiting.

All local residents affected by these systems have been issued with special passes parking and traffic delays are inevitable, according to the gardaí.

Park and ride facilities will be available with a dedicated shuttle bus service at 15-minute intervals.