Stephen Cadogan: Dáil Éireann backs tillage farm emergency aid call
If the Government’s stated commitments to rural Ireland and to agriculture are to be taken seriously, it must deliver the €4.5 million crisis fund for tillage farmers without delay.
A growing and profitable tillage sector was one of the priorities in the programme for government last May.
But the estimated 300 tillage farmers who lost up to 50% of their crops during severe weather last year were left only with promises, as they faced into 2017, many of them in precarious financial positions.
With their backs to the wall, they have been fighting their case, and their efforts paid off last week, when IFA staged a protest at the Dáil, and the Government suffered an embarrassing defeat in the vote on a Fianna Fáil motion to compensate tillage farmers for crops losses.
The 87 votes to 49 defeat was a powerful demonstration of the farmers’ justification in seeking government help, with an overwhelming majority of TDs from Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour, and a number of independents and smaller parties clearly saying the Government had badly left down this vital agricultural sector, despite its commitments in the programme for government.
The Dáil proposal put forward by Fianna Fáil called for a support fund for hundreds of farmers along the south coastline and in western counties who suffered devastating crop losses due to adverse harvest weather.
Fianna Fail agriculture spokesman Charlie McConalogue welcomed the strong cross-party support for his motion, and called on the Government to recognise the decision of the Dail that a fund is required.
He said farming organisations estimated that tillage farmers suffered a 2016 income reduction of €70-80 million.
He said EU regulations allow the Government to make available up to €15,000 of support per farmer over three years, at an estimated cost of €4.5 million.
TDs from across the country told the Dail that many farmers could not afford to plant a crop in 2017, unless a crisis aid fund was established.
They said the 2016 harvest setback followed four years of tillage sector difficulties due to low prices.
It was noted that since 2012, over 100,000 acres have been taken out of tillage farming across the country, and crops may fall by a further 67,000 acres this year.
Some TDs spoke of tillage farmers in their constituency offices close to tears because of the 2016 harvest loss of their tillage crops, and problems escalating as providers of seeds and fertilisers seek to be paid for their products.
It was also pointed out that a precedent was set in 2010 when Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith established an aid scheme for potato and vegetable crops after bad weather crop damage.
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed responded with an amendment setting out his plans to help farmers get cheap loans, and to launch a TAMS grant scheme for tillage farmers.
He said the government has “opened the door” for further dialogue on a compensation fund.
But TDs responded with an 87 votes to 49 defeat of his amendment, yet another embarrassing vote defeat which underlines the fragility of the minority Government.
These vote defeats are not very significant politically, as long as Fianna Fáil’s confidence and supply arrangement supports the Coalition on vital motions of confidence that could bring down the government, and financial measure votes.
However, with a Fianna Fáil commitment in this arrangement to secure the future of family farms, farmers can be assured the Government will be forced to live up to the promises it has made to protect farm incomes.
Minister Creed should not delay in officially announcing his response, having already indicated the Government is open to a focused emergency aid scheme to deliver to the most adversely affected tillage farmers. Many of the farmers need a prompt response if they are to commit to planting crops in 2017.
