Just days after writing to over 3,000 farmers informing them that they had four weeks to repay monies claimed under the BEAM scheme before incurring a 3% interest charge, the Department of Agriculture has this week – without any notice – clawed the money back from ANC and TAMS payments.

The move not only exposes a level disconnect within the Department of Agriculture but also a total lack of understanding as to how critical these payments are in allowing farmers pay farm and household bills.

What reaction would we see if a similar scenario played out in relation to unannounced deductions being applied to monthly salaries within the civil service?

Minister McConalogue.

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue now has a real issue on his hands which goes far beyond the 3,000-plus farmers affected. This latest development exposes the extent to which his Department officials have either become totally disconnected from the farming community and/or have little regard for farmers and their families. Allowing the move go unchallenged sets a very dangerous precedent.

This week's cartoon

\ Jim Cogan

Licence debate will not go away

The defence of forestry licence delays by the Department of Agriculture at Tuesday’s Oireachtas committee meeting brought an old used saying to mind: when you’re explaining, you’re losing.

The virtual collapse of the licences during July and August was due to a new Statutory Instrument, explained secretary general Brendan Gleeson, and had been rectified in the last fortnight.

The committee was unimpressed with the recent two-week licence increases. They were quick to point out that similar short-term increases had occurred prior to previous committee meetings which were unsustained.

However, a number of positives emerged from a meeting that wasn’t quite as fractious as previous confrontations. The disastrous afforestation licences – only 5% of all approvals – is being addressed according to the Department and could result in close to 10,000 ha of planting licences by year end.

To convert approvals now to actual planting will require a strong afforestation promotional campaign. This is essential as many farmers who were once the backbone of the afforestation programme are no longer interested in a land use that demands continuous licences, some of which are going back to 2017.

New study highlights need for farmer access to State pensions The return of the Dáil this week has ignited the debate on reforming Ireland’s State pension regime. In this week's edition, Anne Finnegan examines a new study by Teagasc and Maynooth University which highlights the fact that farmers face significant challenges in accessing State pensions.

Many farmers are forced to rely on farm income into retirement. The research proposes changes to the PRSI contribution system to grant all farmers and successors’ access.

It highlights the unfairness of means testing, whereby income imputed against farm land is multiples of what can realistically be achieved on the farm.

If we are serious about generational renewal, practical policies are required to support older farmers’ transition from farming. A good place to start would be to re-look at access to State pensions.