'Rural farmers receive less in CAP payments' - senator
Farmers who are farming some of the poorest land in Ireland are receiving thousands of euro less in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments than their Dublin counterparts, according to Aontú senator, Sarah O'Reilly.
Senator O'Reilly believes that the latest statistics on CAP payments reveal a "shocking and unacceptable disparity which lays bare the government’s real commitment to rural Ireland for once and for all”.
O'Reilly has called for a "radical shift" in agricultural policy to support farmers in rural and disadvantaged areas.
She said: “Farmers in Dublin are receiving an average CAP payment of €25,500 per year. Meanwhile, in Cavan, that figure drops to €14,500. In Mayo and Monaghan, it’s just €12,500.
"Donegal farmers receive an average of only €13,500. Right across the north and west—Roscommon, Galway, Leitrim, Sligo - farmers are getting payments that are more than €10,000 lower than their Dublin counterparts.”
According to the senator, the purpose of CAP payments is to sustain those who work the land, particularly those farming in challenging conditions.
Senator O'Reilly also believes that the bureaucratic process is negatively impacting farmers financially.
"The bureaucracy surrounding CAP and the delay in ACRES [Agri Climate Rural Environment Scheme] payments only adds insult to injury. Farmers are strangled by paperwork, fighting red tape and a bureaucratic system," she said.
"Payments are delayed, we hear of ‘technical issues’ and unacceptable delays. Funds that should be supporting rural livelihoods are held up by inefficiency and IT systems that are not fit for purpose," she added.
According to Senator O'Reilly, farmers' mental health is suffering because they are "fighting for their very survival".
She said: "We need to prioritise those who farm in the toughest conditions, not those who already have the advantage of location and resources.
"We hear lots from this Government about its self-professed commitment to rural Ireland, but it’s just words; hollow and empty. The statistics don’t lie and are incontrovertible evidence that currently there is no fairness and regional balance.
"If the government is serious about regional development, then the Minister for Agriculture must commit to an immediate review of CAP allocations and ensure that fairness is at the heart of the process. Schemes must be simplified to allow farmers go back to what they do best - farming,” she added.
