IFA eyes unspent Agriculture budget for waste management scheme

THE Irish Farmers’ Association’s rural development chairman, Tom Turley, has called on the Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith to use savings in the Department of Agriculture’s capital budget to commence payment of the final 20% of the Farm Waste Management Scheme before the end of the year.

Mr Turley said that up to the end of October, €38 million of this year’s department capital budget was unspent and this would cover first payments to around 5,500 farmers .

“Paying the final 20% now would ease the burden on next year’s department’s estimate, as the payment is due to be paid in January. Around 17,400 farmers are due €120m which is the final payout of the staged payment arrangement put in place in March 2009,” he said. Mr Turley said interest payment on the last two tranches, which is also due, will be additional to the final payment. This must be paid at a rate of 3.5% as promised to farmers, worth €13m or an average of €747 per farmer.