Waiting for payment

It appears that the animals that were starving in the want of a bale of fodder must now wait until the Government parties are fully geared up for the local elections of 2014 to get their next meal.

The new AEOS payments scheme was announced and funding allocated in the Budget of 2012. Now, farmers have received conformation letters stating that payments would be made in January 2014.

For small farmers who have not received a payment in the last three years and who depend on this money to help them into next winter, announcing that 2014 being the payment start date smacks of a local election stunt fund.