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Sinn Féin EU Candidate Echoes Calls for Clarification on REPS 4 Payments
Published: 19 March, 2009
Sinn Féin EU Candidate Echoes Calls for Clarification on REPS 4 Payments
Sinn Féin's EU election candidate for the North West Constituency Cllr Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has called on the Department of Agriculture to respond to concerns raised by farmer's representatives regarding payments under REPS 4. Mac Lochliann was speaking after the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) raised concern that some farmers appear to have received amounts which fall far short of what was anticipated.
Mac Lochlainn said:
"The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) has raised concerns regarding payments to farmers under REPS 4. According to the ICSA some farmers have received amounts of money which fall far short of what they had been expecting. This is a crucial payment which many farming families are reliant on and as payments slips contain no explanation famers are bewildered by the shortfall in the payments. Farming families are already struggling due the deferment of payments under the Farm Waste Management Scheme and cuts such as those to the Disadvantaged Area Scheme. Farmers are getting very fed up with the government's attitude to the sector - a sector which deserves to be supported and which has a key role to play in our future economic recovery.
"The Department of Agriculture must respond immediately to the call from the ICSA for an explanation for payments under REPS 4 being lower than anticipated. Farmers receiving payments under REPS 4 should be given a clear explanation regarding the amount of the payment which they are receiving."ENDS
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