Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Cookies that are categorised as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Read our privacy policy here for more details.
Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Minister Has to Resolve Outstanding Rdp Issues

Following last night’s meeting in Tuam, IFA Connacht Regional Chairman Tom Turley said a number of outstanding concerns relating to the new Rural Development Programme remain, which the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney needs to urgently address.

He said, “The over-riding priority must be that the new GLAS and TAMS programme are open before year end, and funding delivered in October’s Budget so that up to 30,000 farmers are paid a full-year payment in 2015”.

IFA remains opposed to the 50% collective agreement rule. While progress was made on the initial RDP proposal that 80% of all farmers would have to participate in a collective agreement on the commonages, IFA does not accept the Minister’s current position that 50% of active farmers, or 50% of the commonage area, has to be included to secure priority access.

Tom Turley again called on the Minister to review this issue. He said IFA will hold the Minister to his commitment that in the event of the collective agreement not being achieved in any commonage for legitimate reasons, active farmers affected will still get priority to participate in GLAS.

The IFA Regional Chairman said the Association has fought very hard to secure €580m per annum for the next seven years, and at least 50,000 farmers will have access to the new, €5,000 GLAS Scheme.

“Progress has been made on most of the key issues relating to GLAS, including the increase in the commonage payment to €120 per hectare which will benefit smaller farmers, and eligibility to the GLAS+ payment. However, the Minister must address the Natura payment issue and bring it up to other designation payments. The absolute priority is to get the scheme open and secure the Budget for thousands of farmers in vulnerable sectors and regions who need support.”

IFA remains fully committed to ensuring that all farmer concerns, including those on the hills, are fairly addressed. Tom Turley again called on the Minister to announce a start-up date for the Commonage Implementation Committee.

Related Articles