Christmas boost for farmers

A welcome boost to Cavan and Monaghan farming families in the run-up to Christmas was how Minister Brendan Smith described the €19.4m his department started to issue under the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) yesterday (Tuesday). It means the total paid out to the two counties now tops €67m. The payment is the 30% balance under the SPS and Minister Smith said it would be worth €370m, taking to €1.23bn to total paid out to almost 122,000 farmers since 16 October. "Given the circumstances farmers have experienced this year, I'm particularly pleased that, in the light of the EU Commission decision, I was in a position to bring forward advance payments of more than €864m by a full six weeks sooner than is provided for under the rules of the scheme, while the level of advance payment, at 70 per cent, was unprecedented." He also said that he would be requesting the approval of the Dáil on Thursday of this week for a Supplementary Estimate for his Department, which would "allow me to bring forward some €85m in payments under the Farm Waste Management Scheme and the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS), which would otherwise would have fallen to be paid in the new year. If approved, my department's spending on REPS this year will reach a record level of €369m." Following his visit to flood-affected areas of Co. Galway on Saturday, the minister confirmed that funding of €2m is in place for a fodder aid scheme and reminded farmers that application forms were available from the department website as well as its offices and Teagasc, and said that some had already been distributed. "I hope that payments can commence without delay so that farmers who lost fodder to start to replace it as soon as possible," he said. Flooded farmers Minister Smith visited flood-affected areas in Galway with officials for his department and Teagasc who have been working with farmers and farm organisations to address the difficulties, including the loss of fodder. He said he was anxious to see how the funding can be used to best effect to help farmers who had lost fodder in the past week. He commended the farmers and farm organisations which he said "were doing outstanding work in relieving the plight of farmers and their families by providing emergency supplies of fodder". Minister Smith also confirmed that, apart from providing funding, his Department was anxious to assist in any practical way in assisting with the distribution of fodder and assured farmers that the services of other state agencies, including the Defence Forces, would be made available, if required. He described the situation he had witnessed as "devastating for those involved" and said the government was "continuing to do all in its power, in both urban and rural communities, to alleviate the worst affects of this unprecedented flooding crisis." He paid tribute to the outstanding work being undertaken by all of the state agencies and those involved in the enormous voluntary effort. The Fodder Aid Scheme is targeted at farmers in the west, midlands and south west who suffered damage to fodder (silage or hay or concentrates) caused by flooding in November. "It's important that the funds made available by the government are paid as quickly as possible so I encourage only those farmers, who are directly affected to complete and submit the application without delay." The scheme will require farmers to demonstrate that the fodder was damaged and the extent of that damage. Farmers wishing to avail of the scheme can obtain application forms from agriculture.gov.ie, department offices, Teagasc and: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Single Payment Unit (Fodder Damage Section), Government Buildings, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, Co. Laois; Lo-call 1890-252118. The deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, December 11.