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.

Viability of Thousands of Farm Families at Risk if Government Does Not Deliver Robust Rural Development Programme

IFA President John Bryan has said that unless the Government delivers a strong and robust Rural Development Programme over the next seven years, the viability of thousands of farm families in the most vulnerable sectors and regions will suffer.

Speaking at a meeting with the Fine Gael Agriculture Committee in Dail Eireann today (Thurs), John Bryan said that farmers in many parts of the country are very dependent on Rural Development support such as Environmental and Disadvantaged Areas schemes. “Recent cutbacks have had a severe impact on farmers and the rural economy, and the ball is now firmly in the hands of the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney.”

The IFA President said, “As part of IFA’s intensive campaign, Government TDs and Senators have met thousands of farmers with a clear message that co-financing must be at a rate of 50:50, with national top-ups. This is vital to ensure that Rural Development schemes support the rural economy and jobs, while at the same time supporting farm income, whose output is limited by the quality of the land and where farmers can provide environmental public goods”.

John Bryan said that Ireland has secured annual EU funding of €313m to give an EU budget of €2.2bn. “The Government must at least match this funding as it is clear that the spin-off to the rural economy is very significant given that practically all of the funding is spent in the local economy. This is particularly relevant at this time as the economic downturn has hit rural areas very badly and they cannot be left behind in the recovery” he said.

The IFA President said the message has also been delivered to the Taoiseach and other members of the Government. As part of the campaign, John Bryan will meet the Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore next Monday.

Related Articles