Inspections

At a meeting of the charter of rights monitoring committee last week, the IFA raised the issue around inspection difficulties following Storm Emma. The Department confirmed that inspectors will take a flexible and practical approach towards any weather-related inspection issues and particularly take into account the unique circumstances and any hardship issues on a case-by-case basis.

Sheep scheme

So far, 20,684 farmers have been paid €16m in advance payments under the Sheep Welfare Scheme. Inspections are currently taking place and expect to be completed by the end of March, triggering the final payment, worth €3m, early in the second quarter. Sheep farmers who have not already done so are reminded to submit their sheep census return without delay as they cannot be paid under any scheme without a completed census form.

Storm Emma support

IFA president Joe Healy has said farmers are hugely appreciative of the collective effort during Storm Emma that saw co-ops, hauliers, contractors, local authorities, emergency services and fellow farmers coordinate their action to support farmers in all sectors. He added that farmers are still dealing with the aftermath and counting the cost of the weather event and will need further support to deal with the damage and losses.

Fodder scheme

The miniscule level of applications made to the Fodder Transport Scheme is clear evidence that the scheme is not working, Connacht regional chair Padraic Joyce has said. He said it is clear that a rethink is needed and Minister Creed must come forward with a more meaningful scheme to include meal vouchers, which have proven successful in the past during times of fodder shortage.