DEAR SIR The Disadvantaged Farmers Legal Challenge group commends Minister Simon Coveney and his Department on finally taking the first steps to address the land eligibility issues and providing more clarity on what land farmers and their planners can submit under the Direct Payment Scheme.
The group expresses relief that the Department of Agriculture has had the courage to confirm that the system of land eligibility that has been in place for the last few years has been too restrictive, with little or no reliance being placed on an interpretation model that is based on rational, objective criteria.
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However, many aspects of the land eligibility regulations remain unresolved and it is now incumbent on Minister Coveney to take whatever steps necessary to ensure farmers and their families can continue to maintain their farming enterprise and livelihoods.
For example, the Minister has failed to reverse the issue of unjust retrospective fines that have arisen as a direct consequence of the arbitrary and flawed land eligibility rules which were imposed on farmers by the Department in 2013. The Minister has also failed to make any concession for the tens of thousands of farmers who were cut and penalised on their 2013 Single Farm Payment scheme payments. These farmers have in almost every case found their declared area of land reduced as a result of what we believe was a system that lacked the basic principles of fairness. It is abundantly clear that no blame can be made against these farmers as they simply participated in a system that was not fit for purpose and one which discriminated acutely against marginal lands and poorer landscapes.
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Margaret Peters, Co Cork
DEAR SIR The Disadvantaged Farmers Legal Challenge group commends Minister Simon Coveney and his Department on finally taking the first steps to address the land eligibility issues and providing more clarity on what land farmers and their planners can submit under the Direct Payment Scheme.
The group expresses relief that the Department of Agriculture has had the courage to confirm that the system of land eligibility that has been in place for the last few years has been too restrictive, with little or no reliance being placed on an interpretation model that is based on rational, objective criteria.
However, many aspects of the land eligibility regulations remain unresolved and it is now incumbent on Minister Coveney to take whatever steps necessary to ensure farmers and their families can continue to maintain their farming enterprise and livelihoods.
For example, the Minister has failed to reverse the issue of unjust retrospective fines that have arisen as a direct consequence of the arbitrary and flawed land eligibility rules which were imposed on farmers by the Department in 2013. The Minister has also failed to make any concession for the tens of thousands of farmers who were cut and penalised on their 2013 Single Farm Payment scheme payments. These farmers have in almost every case found their declared area of land reduced as a result of what we believe was a system that lacked the basic principles of fairness. It is abundantly clear that no blame can be made against these farmers as they simply participated in a system that was not fit for purpose and one which discriminated acutely against marginal lands and poorer landscapes.
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