A Fianna Fáil motion has called on Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to review the current underspend accruing across several Rural Development Programme (RDP) schemes and to target that underspend at the suckler and other vulnerable sectors.

The motion will be heard on Wednesday night, as part of the Oireachtas roadmap towards targeting RDP underspend at vulnerable sectors.

Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, said that the motion calls for Minister Creed to report on the motion's progress within two months.

“The underspend in the Department of Agriculture soared to €186m over the last two years, while several 2014-2020 RDP schemes are on course to underspend significantly, such as GLAS and TAMS," McConalogue said.

“Given the existential threats of Brexit and any Mercosur deal on suckler farmers’ incomes, the Government must immediately seek EU recognition of these and request funding supports including CAP market disturbance funds.

“Fianna Fáil is asking for cross party support for this motion to send a strong message from Dáil Éireann to the Government that these farmers need to be supported.”

McConalogue said the almost 1 million suckler cow herds in Ireland are pivotal to supporting local economies across rural Ireland, with every €1 of support provided to suckler farmers generating over €4 of economic activity in rural parishes.

While suckler farmers underpin our €2.5bn beef exports, they generate average incomes below €13,000 each year and are fully dependent on CAP supports to maintain their livelihoods.

“The suckler sector is facing threats on many fronts with successive Fine Gael-led Governments found wanting," McConalogue continued.

“The Government has refused at every avenue to look at all options to introduce a €200 payment per suckler cow.

“Fianna Fáil has championed this as a key policy and will continue to campaign for its delivery.”

McConalogue added that suckler farmers are being let down by the Government's acceptance of at least 70,000 extra tonnes of South American beef into the EU under the Mercosur trade deal.

“The timing of this couldn’t be any worse for farmers, with Brexit having the potential to place tariffs on half of all our beef exports.”

He also said that the beef forum has failed farmers and has “become a talking shop”, with commitments being reneged on.

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