Department of Agriculture unhurried over scheme, claims ICMSA
ICMSA Farm Services and Environment Committee chairman John Comer said the department was displaying a lack of urgency despite the fact that negotiations have been ongoing for three months.
However, a senior department official, Michael O’Donovan, told a Teagasc conference in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, last week that Ireland has submitted a plan for a new scheme to the European Commission.
Discussions have begun and need to be concluded in December.
Meanwhile, the ICMSA said it has provided the department with proposals detailing how REPS 3-type payments could be continued for a further two years to cater for those farmers who otherwise will have no REPS payment in 2010 and 2011.
Mr Comer said a change in rules is possible that allows funding to be directed to REPS 3 for a further two years.
“We have identified the funds necessary and pointed out how they can be accessed from modulated funds, the new European Economic Recovery Programme and the national exchequer.
“We’ve contacted the European Commission about how the funding might be arranged.
“We just find the lack of urgency and general couldn’t-care-less attitude completely inexcusable,” he said.
Mr Comer said that the French and the German Governments worked tirelessly on behalf of their farmers to find ways to support their dairy industry and with a little imagination and similar exertion, the Department of Agriculture could secure adequate funding for REPS.
He said the ICMSA regard the current levels of funding available for this new scheme in the period 2010-2014 as totally inadequate with payments falling far short of what was available under the current REPS 3.
He warned that this will lead to many farmers being unable to meet bank loans and will compound the whole debt and credit squeeze situation that’s already emerging as a huge threat to the agri-sector.
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