€100m farm grant scheme suspended

FINANCIAL constraints have forced the Government to suspend grant schemes offering farmers nearly €100 million for modernising their operations.

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has announced the temporary suspension of further applications from farmers to the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes, with immediate effect.

“I could not defend a situation in which farmers go to the time and expense of preparing and submitting applications, in the expectation that grant aid would be forthcoming for their project, when there was a question mark over the availability of funding,” he said.