Need to move forward

By Matt Dempsey

The National Partnership model has served the country well. Farmers have been a legitimate and integral part of the process since the beginning. Useful developments have resulted, but income coming into the sector has been broadly static from 1995 to 2001 and fell steeply last year. There is no doubt that Government would like to see agriculture included this time and as John Dillon wrote in the Irish Times on Tuesday farmers also wish to participate.

It's time to get down to some serious talking. There is little use saying that the budget is written in stone, that there is no more cash and nothing can be put on the table. Every sector from the unemployed to the top earning public servant has had something solid offered to them.

Some - especially the beneficiaries of the bench marking exercise have had much more than others.

There are clearly a number of areas where solid commitments could be given that might cost nothing. For example to charge farmers E44m for getting rid of meat and bone meal, because of a failure to use any of the several facilities in the country that could burn the product is simply wrong. If society wishes to ban meat and bone meal from power stations and cement factories then the bill should not be levied on farmers.

There is room here for both negotiation and sensible government action. Similarly on the disease levies, the sum involved is small but the sense of outrage on reneging on a deal is real. The efficiency, effectiveness and cost of delivery on TB, Brucellosis and BSE are issues which cannot be considered in isolation.

On the cuts in REPS and farm investment schemes there have been informal assurances that money will be made available to pay whatever valid applications are made and that new categories of farmers will be catered for under both schemes. Put figures on these assurances and detailed time tables on the development of the schemes and these problems should be capable of being solved.

There is little doubt that eyes were taken off the ball during the budgetary process, but sensible advances are more important that face saving exercise.

We would strongly encourage both sides to use the next fortnight's breathing space to come with a sensible arrangement with which we can all go forward with some confidence.