Deputy Charlie McConalogue says he’s extremely disappointed the Agriculture Minister failed to outline a specific plan for the delivery of a crisis aid package for tillage farmers at yesterday’s national tillage forum meeting.
Only last month a Fianna Fáil motion to establish a crisis aid fund for tillage farmers received widespread backing in the Dáil.
Deputy McConalogue said Minister Creed has kicked hopes of a crisis fund to touch, leaving tillage farmers face down in the mud with no support.
“This is a shocking state of affairs. It seems that Fine Gael just don’t care about farmers whose livelihoods have been seriously damaged. The fact that the much needed tillage TAMS scheme has been delayed by a number of weeks will only exacerbate matters for these farmers.
“At a time when the Department is running an underspend of some €86m for last year, I find it incredible that the Minister is continuing to refuse to introduce an emergency fund in the region of €5m.
“Farmers are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of movement from the Minister and his Department on establishing a crisis fund, while the TAMS scheme has been pushed back for a number of weeks. The clock is ticking for the Minister – he needs to recognise the anger out there and begin acting in the interests of hard pressed farmers”.
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