Coveney seeks suckler money in budget
He said the Department of Finance wants the agriculture department to reduce current expenditure €28m and capital expenditure of €25m.
“Up until budget day we will be trying to change those figures where possible and when it makes sense to do so.”
And the budget sums changed again this week, with Finance Minister Michael Noonan revealing that €2.5bn is to be taken out of the economy, not the previously projected €3.1bn.
“We are examining ways in which we can make savings without affecting farmers directly,” said Mr Coveney.
He revealed that “natural savings” of about €45m in current expenditure alone will cover most of the €54m required in savings.
“We could possibly reach a point where we would not be obliged to cut schemes at all. However, we must find some space to put new money into the suckler beef sector.
“There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that a large number of suckler cows are not being put into calf, and a large number are being slaughtered,” he told the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture. “There is a real concern that the decisions being made by farmers may reduce the size of the suckler cow herd.”
“There is a confidence issue with regard to the suckler herd that needs to be addressed. We have very limited resources with which to do this, but we are actively looking at it.”
But horse welfare considerations will be an extra cost item for the agriculture department in next week’s Budget. According to Mr Coveney, another new challenge that may cost extra money arises in implementing a new mapping system for policing EU direct payments.
He told the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture that most of the natural savings in his department’s budget arithmetic arise due to farmers leaving REPS next year, which will reduce expenditure by about €25m (including EU co-funding).
