Approval of Rural Development Programme welcomed by ICSA

THE approval of Ireland’s revised Rural Development Programme by Brussels was described as a positive development yesterday by the president- elect of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers’ Association.

Gabriel Gilmartin said it was necessary for Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith to engage with farm organisations to ensure a workable scheme is put in place.

“If this is going to be in any way a meaningful and a successful substitute for the REPS scheme, it will have to be based on a low-cost model.

“The maximum payment of €5,000 is too low and is a very big drop from what farmers received through REPS.

“Any additional costs such as planner fees will have to be curtailed. All other compliance costs will have to be minimised,” he said.

Mr Gilmartin, a sheep and suckler farmer from Ballintrillick, Co Sligo, will formally succeed Malcolm Thompson as ICSA president at its annual general meeting in Limerick next Thursday, which was rescheduled twice due to the recent flooding and icy roads.

Mr Smith and opposition spokesmen Michael Creed (FG) and Sean Sherlock (Labour) have also been invited to address a conference in conjunction with the AGM, on the theme of What a Difference a Year Makes – Agriculture’s Role in National Economic Recovery.