€85m boost for agriculture as minister brings forward payments

A total of €85 million in agricultural payments has been brought forward by Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith to ease the cash flow difficulties being experienced by farm families.

Tue, 24 Nov, 2009 - 00:00

Ray Ryan Agribusiness Correspondent

It is comprised of €45m in second instalment Farm Waste Management Scheme grants and €39m in Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) payments.

By the end of this year, the department says it will have paid out €1.24bn in single farm payments, €369m in the REPS and €286m in the waste scheme.

The overall payout for FWMS for 2008 and 2009 will be €813.7m with the total expected to rise to €1bn by the end of January, 2010.

Mr Smith also announced yesterday that, following the agreement of Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, he is seeking Dáil approval for a supplementary estimate to facilitate the spending of savings arising in his Department’s Vote. No additional exchequer funding is being provided.

But, if agreed, the supplementary estimate would enable the savings, as well as EU receipts, to be used to increase the existing allocations, principally to the FWMS and REPS.

He expressed his appreciation to Mr Lenihan for his agreement to the use of the additional receipts and savings.

Mr Smith said he wanted to improve the cash flow situation of thousands of farmers by bringing forward almost €85m in payments under REPS and FWMS to December, which would otherwise have fallen to be paid early in the new year.

He said the supplementary estimate will also permit the payment of some €1.2m under the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM).

“Given the value of the agri-food sector to the recovery of the Irish economy, it is essential that we continue to invest in research and development and this decision is evidence of further commitment in that regard,” he said.

Mr Smith said he fully acknowledged the role of the Oireachtas in considering his department’s supplementary estimate. He said he would be requesting the members to support the supplementary estimate.