Sinn Féin Opposes Cuts in Single Farm Payment
Published: 20 November, 2008
Sinn Féin Opposes Cuts in Single Farm Payment
North West EU Candidate Cllr. Pádraig MacLochlainn
For immediate release
Sinn Féin North West EU Candidate Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has today
criticised Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith for capitulating on the
issue of increased modulation during the current CAP reform discussions.
Cllr. Mac Lochlainn reiterated Sinn Féin's opposition to increasing the
amount of modulation on farmer's payments noting that in effect the
increase amounts to a cut in the Single Farm Payment putting further
pressure on farm incomes.
Cllr. Mac Lochlainn said:
"The farming community is still reeling from the array of savage cuts in
agriculture contained within the government's 2009 budget, and its
affects will hit hardest farmers in the West of Ireland. The suspension
of the Young Farmers Installation Aid programme in tandem with the same
fate for the Early Retirement Scheme has been a massive blow to the
farming community. Those seeking to enter the farming sector and older
farmers wishing to make way for the next generation have both been
failed by this budget. In addition cuts to the Disadvantaged Area Aid
and Suckler Cow Welfare Schemes will result in almost halving the
existing supports to the states most vulnerable low income farmers.
"Sinn Féin has consistently opposed the increase in modulation and
called for more farmers on lower levels of payment to be exempted
totally from the measure. We also proposed that that inordinately high
payments to non farmers, one of which is over €500,000, be eliminated.
"A report completed by my Dáil colleague Deputy Martin Ferris for the
Oireachtas Joint Agriculture Committee, 'What needs to be done to ensure
the survival of fishing and farming in the West', proves that not only
is there a massive disparity in the level of payments but that the
majority of farmers on low Single Farm Payment are finding it
increasingly difficult to survive, and are increasingly pessimistic
about the future. The Budget does nothing to redress that.
"The governments cuts have resulted in a 13% cut to the Department of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food budget. With the future viability of the
sector under further threat Minister Smith cannot afford to get things
wrong during the current CAP reform negotiations." ENDS
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