Fianna Fáil demand clarity on farmers funding from EU in no-deal Brexit scenario

Fianna Fáil has urged the EU to "put its money where its mouth is" and reveal exactly how much emergency funding it will give to farmers at risk of being destroyed by a no-deal Brexit.

The opposition party's agriculture spokesperson Charlie McConalogue demanded the clarity before Wednesday night's House of Commons votes on all different Brexit options.

Speaking to reporters just hours after Agriculture Minister Michael Creed announced further details on the Government's farmers Brexit loan scheme, Mr McConalogue said the help does not go far enough.

Noting the fact the Government offer is a "loan" that will have to be repaid and not a grant, he said the onus is now on the EU to provide long-promised further funding

"It definitely is," Mr McConalogue warned when asked if it is time for Brussels to put its money where its mouth is on the issue.

There's two issues, there's the pressure the beef sector is under over the last number of months where farmers are losing money, and we need the EU to provide the assistance needed to make sure the beef farmers don't go under.

"Following on from that, the introduction potentially of tariffs and a hard Brexit is also there, and we need more clarity from the Government and the European Commission on what supports are going to be in place, and the level of those supports, because farming and agriculture is operating in a vacuum at the moment.

"Nobody would have thought that coming this close to D-day that we still wouldn't have any clarity from the Government on the supports available.

"And it's simply unacceptable being told 'don't worry, it'll be alright on the night' when they need to know in advance how they can prepare and what supports will be available to them," the Fianna Fáil agriculture spokesperson warned.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker have repeatedly said the EU will provide vital emergency funding to farmers if there is a no deal Brexit.

However, despite multiple meetings at the highest levels of the Irish Government and the European Commission on the subject, and the in-depth involvement of EU agriculture commissioner Phil Hogan, no exact figure or funding details have been made public to date.

Asked about the issue by reporters on Wednesday alongside Cork South West TD Margaret Murphy O'Mahony and Bobby Alyward, Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill said the reality is "farmers are struggling out there, some farmers are taking the decision to close the gate for the last time".