IFA warns Department about late payments

IFA National Livestock Committee chairman Derek Deane has warned the Department of Agriculture that it must immediately pay out all outstanding suckler cow and slaughter premium payments owed to farmers regardless of their special beef premium application.

Mr Deane said the Department has being using the overrun in the special beef premium quota as an excuse not to pay producers who have applied on more than 50 animals for beef premium.

He said: "This is totally unacceptable and highly discriminatory to these producers."

Mr Deane pointed out that the official protocol on direct payments specifies that suckler cow premium must be paid by February 28.

"These payments are already two and a half months late and the Department must be brought to task by Minister Walsh for breaching the protocol," he said.