Liadh supports ICSA call for justice for ‘forgotten’ farmers

Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada has expressed her support for the ICSA’s call for just for “Forgotten Farmers” who were left out of the official allocation for young farmers and the national reserve fund.

Speaking from Cork today, Ní Riada said;

“This is a matter of justice and fairness. I am calling on Minister Simon Coveney to work on finding an equitable solution for those 3,900 farmers who find themselves blocked from accessing crucial new young farmers supports under the most recent reform of CAP.

“The inability to access these vital supports will have very serious, long-term ramifications for the farmers involved. It has created a deeply inequitable environment in which these farmers find themselves having to compete with farmers who benefit from top-ups and established farmers who have built up their entitlements.

“This situation have been developing for quite some time. It is unacceptable for Minister Coveney to simply shrug his shoulders and acts as if there is nothing that can be done.

“The ISCA has described the current situation as ‘profoundly unfair’ and I strongly agree with that assessment. The forgotten farmer brought their concerns to the Oireachtas committee on Agriculture back in June and urged the Minister to deal with the issue.

“The problem wouldn’t take much to correct given the relatively small number of farmers affected. The ISCA has estimated that an allocation of €12 million or even less would rectify matters.

“Farmers who are younger than 40 but who started farming more than five years ago are slipping through the cracks. It is the responsibility of Minister Coveney to devise an approach that will bring this disparity to an end.”