Minister must wake up to reality facing farmers - TD Kerrane

Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue must wake up to the reality facing farmers and act, Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture Claire Kerrane TD has said.

The TD has called on Minister McConalogue to take action on urgent concerns raised by farmers over the past week around the delays to farm payments, announced changes to the nitrates derogation and the crisis facing the sheep sector.

“The impact of delays to farm payments, of changes to the nitrates derogation and of the crisis affecting the sheep sector are not new - these are issues that have been raised time and time again with the Minister.

“Yet, what we are seeing now is several of these significant issues coming to a head following months of the Minister failing to listen to farmers and failing to take action to address these concerns," Deputy Kerrane said.

New system

Deputy Kerrane said that she asked the Minister to instruct his Department to establish a new system to avoid delays to these crucial payments.

With regard to the nitrates derogation, she said that Sinn Féin has also repeatedly pointed out that the mechanism on which the review was based is flawed.

"It is also disappointing that Minister McConalogue was not transparent with farmers about the presence of this mechanism and the required review for months after the nitrates action plan was approved and this is something my colleague Matt Carthy highlighted for some time," she said.

Sheep sector

Meanwhile, in relation to the sheep sector, Deputy Kerrane said she has called on the Minister to look at using the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) to provide much-needed supports to sheep farmers.

However, she said he has stated that this is not possible without any explanation.

“It is really disappointing that these significant issues have been presented to the Minister many times and, despite the alarm bells being sounded from farmers, we are in the situation we are in today.

“It is not too late for the Minister to engage constructively on these key issues and I am demanding that he does so as a matter of urgency. This is no way to treat farmers," she said.