Proposals under the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to cut payments to farmers in receipt of pensions and off-farm income have been described as completely unacceptable by Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture and food Martin Kenny TD.

The issue was raised by Deputy Kenny with Minister for Agriculture in the Dáil as he said that the Minister and the Government should oppose these cuts and stand up for Irish farmers who are hugely concerned about the proposals.

“Over 40% of Irish farmers have off-farm income and 30% of Irish farmers are pension age. In many cases, farmers need an off-farm income in order to survive and make the farm viable,” Deputy Kenny stated.

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“CAP payments would have at one time been considered to be an income supplement for farmers, but that is no longer the case with inflation over the years. Now, farmers require CAP payments in order to offset the cost of production.”

Proposals

Deputy Kenny said that the EU proposals to cut payments to these farmers with off-farm income goes against the reason CAP was set up in the first place.

He also spoke on how generational renewal must be at the heart of the next CAP to provide enough funding for the next generation to earn a living from farming.

“Likewise, we cannot repeat the mistakes of the past, where we had a farm retirement scheme that imposed an exclusion order for older farmers and banished them from the farmyard.

“Older farmers have years of experience that will benefit the next generation and we must develop a generational renewal scheme that works for old and young,” he said.